Although Tiffin University offers online degrees, it has a 110-acre physical campus located in Tiffin, Ohio that is private and co-ed. They also have satellite campuses across the state of ohio, covering cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Fremont, Toledo, Elyria, and Columbus areas. They have around 2,000 students enrolled in the university and 200 plus highly qualified faculty employed. The university is also proud to share that 27% of their students go on the graduate school, and nearly 3/4s of their student body are active in extracurricular activities other than sports.

Tiffin offers students a wide range of options when it comes to pursuing higher education. Academics are classified into three schools: School of Arts and Science, School of Business, and School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences. They offer undergraduate, graduate, and degree programs in areas such as the arts, business administration, homeland security and terrorism, sports and recreation management, communication, and criminal justice.

The goal of Tiffin University is not only to provide quality education for their students, but also make it accessible to everyone—hence the transition from a traditional physical campus setting to offering options for taking online courses too.

The programs available in Tiffin University are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission or NCA. The university is chartered by the State of Ohio, enabling the former to award college degrees at all levels. Their recent and one of the most prestigious accreditation to date is the accreditation of the Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration programs by the European Council for Business Education.

The university also ensures that students and their education are on top of the priority list, and thus, they have created student assistance to help students with their financial and academic needs. Students can apply for Federal Student Aid through Tiffin, and the university also offers grants, scholarships, and loans. Academic assistance in the form tutoring and review sessions is also provided by a fulltime faculty.

Camaraderie and sense of community is important for Tiffin University, hence, the school offers a slew of extra-curricular activities such as martial arts, equestrian, theater arts, and college journalism publication for students who want to keep themselves busy. Furthermore, the schools takes its athletics program seriously—they are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the NCAA. The university believes that its students should be able to make real connections that will help them gain real-world success later on in life.

This school is great for people who are looking for a holistic approach to college education. Not only is the curriculum within good standards, the extracurricular and overall campus life is also terrific for students who are looking to for real connections and best college experience.

Other than being the first in their field, Jones International University aims to provide their students with quality education that can better prepare them to become successful in their careers later on. Their focus is to help not just students but also working professionals who are seeking to improve their skills, therefore their programs are project-based and are designed to allow its students to make practical use of what they have learned right away.

Students can opt to pursue degrees in either of the two JUI schools: the School of Education and the School of Business. The School of Education offers Master of Education degree programs, Doctorates, and Education Specialist courses. Their specializations include Adult Education, Corporate Training and Knowledge Management, Instructional Technology, K-12 Education Specialist courses, and Teacher Licensure courses to name a few. Their faculty is comprised of professionals with distinguished backgrounds and knowledgeable experience in the field of education.

The School of Business offers an even wider array of degree options. Students can choose from earning bachelor’s degrees with specializations such as Digital Media, Business Administration, Accounting, Sales and Marketing, Health Care Management, or get their Master’s Degree in courses such as Entrepreneurship, Global Enterprise Management, Project Management, etc. Doctorate courses in Business Administration are also available, as well as certificate programs in Digital Media and Business Administration too. The learning strategy of JIU is that students should apply the theories they have learned in class into the real world.

The admission process at JIU is fairly easy. Students should complete an application form, pay the application fee, and submit documents stating their skills proficiency such as high school transcripts, GED or high school completion, etc. For students who have taken a degree before, they are welcome to enroll in any of the certification classes or apply for another degree. Those who are planning on transferring are also welcome as JIU accepts credits from previously attended schools as long as they are accredited by U.S. Department of Education and matches the current credits of JIU. Furthermore, JIU also credits non-academic learning.

Jones International University is perfect for students as well as professionals who are seeking to pursue a career in education or learning more about business administration and management techniques. Having been around for more than a decade says a lot about the credibility of a school, especially if it is an online one. Jones International University is truly an exception when it comes to distance collegiate learning.

Vocational education focuses on teaching students industry-specific skills such as IT or computer related work or business management courses. They are usually taught on a shorter period of time, ranging from a month to two years. Just like any other school or university, when a student completes the course, he or she is given a certification or a diploma. People who complete vocational courses do not usually have a hard time finding a job afterwards, as their respective industries are always in need of people with their kind of specific skills.

Choosing to take a vocational course can help an individual hone specialized skills in specific fields. There are a lot of courses to choose from: they can range from teaching technical skills to industrial skills and even culinary skills. A lot of people would be surprised to know that although most vocational courses are best taught through a face-to-face, hands-on experience, enrolling in online vocational courses are just as effective and efficient.

The Internet has now made it possible for students to enroll in online vocational courses. Similar to other distance learning classes, enrolling in an online course just requires a student to have a computer, a reliable Internet connection, and of course, time and dedication to learning. And, as with these online courses, the clear advantages are that the person does not have to leave home or travel far, and he or she has better control of his or her time. Some might find that studying online is less expensive than enrolling in an actual school. While some might question that there is a lack of the hands-on experience that is indeed detrimental to vocational learning, keep in mind that there are alternative methods nowadays to address this concern. Some teachers make online videos for students to follow and couple it with a detailed guide, and ask the students to submit a video of themselves applying what they have learned from the material.

There is a wealth of vocational courses online; a student should just review these schools and find out which ones best suit what he or she is looking for. For those who are particular about getting a reputable diploma or certification, there are also popular traditional schools that offer online versions of their courses. Courses may vary according to the skill being taught—some might take only a few weeks to complete while other require many levels before getting official accreditation for completion.

Ellis offers over 50 different MBA, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Associate degrees. It has four extensive colleges – Arts and Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Business and Education.

• College of Arts and Sciences – If you’re interested in the discovery and application in areas of sciences and liberal arts, you can choose from Ellis University’s six degree programs, including MS Computer Science, MA Communication Arts, BA English, BS Computer Science, BS Information Technology and BA, BS, BPS Interdisciplinary studies.
• College of Behavioral Sciences – If you want to advance your knowledge in the field of industrial, social, clinical, educational and law enforcement careers, you can choose from several degrees under behavioral sciences with concentrations on the studies of psychology, sociology or criminal justice.
• College of Business – The field of business is a fierce environment; there’s no better way to step up to your competition than to seek continuous learning and add, refine and master new business skills. Ellis offers several courses that concentrate in finance, marketing, human resources management, small business and entrepreneurship, e-commerce, accounting, leadership, risk management and many more.
• College of Education – Geared towards promoting excellence in the practice of education, Ellis offers teachers, trainers, leaders, policy makers, parents and other educators by offering two programs – one for MS in Instruction Technology and the other for Master of Arts in Teaching.

The tuition costs depend on the course and degree you plan to take. Undergraduate courses start at $447 per credit, while graduate degrees cost $685 per credit for general courses and $350 for second MBA specialization. The Master of Arts in Teaching costs $509 per credit. Discounts are given to active and retired military.

Just like any other traditional universities, Ellis provides students with short course terms. It boasts their interactive online learning platform that makes continuous education more enjoyable through videos, demonstrations and exercises online. Of course, anyone planning to take undergraduate courses need to submit a high school diploma or its equivalent, at least 12 semester credits at any accredited institutions and at least 3 years of work experience after graduating high school. For graduate degrees, students need to have an undergraduate degree and three years full-time work experience. Ellis accepts international students, as long as they complete the requirements.

Ellis University doesn’t just provide lesson plans via e-mail. Its virtual campus gives students their own profile page, blog and a community where they can share photos, join groups and communicate with other students and teachers. Ellis also provides a monthly interactive webcast, usually about professional development like leadership and networking, which aims to help students enhance their skills more. A quick tour of the virtual campus offers students a welcoming experience and its simple platform makes it easy for even the most non-techie person to navigate smoothly.

The heart and soul of Brigham Young University is located in Provo, Utah. The Independent Study program of BYU has an office in the campus and this is where much of the online school’s staff works from. They have qualified technical personnel who are trained to answer questions about the various courses that are available. A customer support team is also employed to answer phone calls, emails and snail mail from students all over the world. The courses that are being offered by BYU Independent Study is taught by a competent staff of faculty and instructors. These courses have undergone a very strict review so that students will get their money’s worth for the education they would like to obtain.

In January 12, 2008, BYU Independent Study was accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission (DETC). As an education institution, Brigham Young University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The High School program is regionally accredited by Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS). These accreditations from various agencies will provide students with transferable credits if they wish to pursue their education in other schools.

BYU was founded in 1875 by The LDS (Latter Day Saints) Church and was once was the largest private education facility in the country. Since then, Brigham Young University has branched out because of the consistency of the quality of education that they provide. The school has a very high enrollment rate, and this includes that of the Independent Study program by BYU. Although the privately owned school is operated by Mormons, the campus receives thousands of inquiries and enrollments from other religions worldwide.

One of the biggest advantages of enrolling in BYU Independent study is the number of courses available to students. Not only does the school provide college degrees, they also offer high school and middle school courses for young teens. Personal Enrichment courses are also available for those who would like to further their studies by taking up non-credit courses, whether or not they are enrolled in the online program. There are also free courses which include Bible study for people who would like to learn more about the Mormon bible.

Amidst the fact that BYU has been consistently winning various academic awards and honors, they are still able to maintain a very affordable tuition rate. College degrees per credit are priced at $141, while the Personal enrichment courses are available at $30. Considering the quality of education that you can have at BYU, their rates are fairly competitive, if not one of the cheapest, if you compare them to other online distance learning facilities operated by reputable universities in the country today.

The school is owned and operated by Alta Colleges, which has more than a dozen campuses all over the country. Their reputation as an education facility catering to a unique set of individuals has increased in popularity during the past decades, as people continue to understand that college education should ready you to face a career. Westwood College was formerly known as Denver Institute of Technology and has recently changed their name once they opened up new campuses for other courses besides technical ones.

Due to the different nature of courses that were being offered by Westwood College, the agency responsible in accrediting the school is Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology. All the campuses of Alta Colleges Inc. are accredited by one national career related organization or another which is recognized by CHEA; which proves that the school is capable of providing education in a national level. However, there are no other agencies that have given Westwood College Online the recognition it so deserves, being one of the top 10 online schools in the country today. The only accreditation under its belt is the one from the above named agency. So far though, this has been enough, but for people who view accreditation as an integral factor in the way they choose their online education, Westwood may not be one of their top choices.

In lieu of traditional university education, Westwood has chosen to fast track the learning process and a full time student, with no history of college credit, can obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in as short as 20 months. Westwood College Online prides itself in providing only the necessary skills and knowledge to their students, because they understand that students, young adults and professionals alike, value the time and money they spend on education. Because graduation is just over the horizon, Westwood offers a very affordable, and highly competitive, tuition fees to their students.

Not only does Westwood College Online provide you with quality education, they also want to make sure that you make full use of the degree you will be getting from them. The school has a Career Development Services unit which has a full time staff of advisers who are more than willing to help you out. Not only that, but the focus on building a career after college, and still enabling students to pursue new knowledge with the Alumni Retaining Program, makes Westwood the best choice for a lifetime of education.

Price wise, Westwood is affordable especially if you take into consideration the length of time you spend learning, as well as the value of the education you are obtaining from them.

Considering that many online schools strive to provide quality education; there are few who meet the standards of various accreditation agencies in the country. Upon checking, Kaplan University has received regional recognition in 1997. It was formerly known as American Institute of Commerce, and then later on changed to Quest College; until in 2004 the facility finally took on the name Kaplan University. The regional accreditation organized which recognizes KU as a provider of online education is National Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission.

Kaplan University offers courses that are standard to the economic needs of the people. There are however, more choices when it comes to Information Technology as this industry continues to rule supreme over business and criminal studies. Master’s degrees are also offered to students who would like to pursue their studies and Concord Law School was also built for those who’d like to further their education. With that said, there are not a lot of unique courses that are being offered here, just the few basic but popular ones that most people take up. Of course, this by no means puts students at Kaplan at a disadvantage – the school is only providing that which are needed by the students.

The tuition fees will vary depending on the course you’ll be taking up. There are also a number of registration, assessment and miscellaneous fees that students have to pay for in order to take up the subjects and electives that are needed for graduation. By looking at Kaplan’s website, the tuition seems to be similar with other facilities so it’s very competitive.

The school can help you seek out financial help from federal grants, the state and other private lenders. Military personnel who have financial aid can also enjoy the benefits of having a Kaplan University education. However, the school doesn’t offer scholarships to students who show potential. But, some employers have been known to reimburse, in part or in full, the fees that you spend to train for the position that you have already filled in the company.

Adults who would like to continue their education will feel most at home in Kaplan University. The online school’s programs are so convenient that you only have to spend a few hours each week online for lessons. The rest of the time, you can just read the textbooks provided to you, or join discussions in the forums, wherein you get credit or points for all the relevant replies made. Seminars, study groups and other work related gatherings are all done online, so you do not have to spend on transportation and accommodations.

Most online schools offer financial aid to their students, and Bellevue is the same. They strive hard to provide their low-income students the chance to pursue a college education by helping them find institutions that are willing to lend the money. They also offer a deferred payment program for those students who are eligible for tuition aid. Aside from the usual financial assistance from government organizations, Bellevue works in conjunction with other non-profit organizations and business institutions to provide students with scholarships and grants. These are only the few perks of being a student in Bellevue University, for more information about their loans; you can contact their Admissions Office.

Bellevue is proud to be one of the most affordable online schools in the country today. Because they are a non-profit school, they do not aim to make money from the student fees. They would like to offer students an inexpensive college education because everyone deserves to have a university diploma.

According to Bellevue, one of the main benefits of attending their university is the Accelerated Program. Adults have the option to finish a Bachelor’s degree in 15 months if they already have existing credits from other schools. By providing a faster time line, adults do not have to stop working or become unemployed just because they need to go back to school. And since Bellevue has distance learning courses, adults from all over the country have access to education.

Accreditation is important for online colleges, especially with diploma mills sprouting like mushrooms in the internet. There are a number of accreditation organizations recognized by the USDE (US Department of Education) and the CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation); one of which is North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning. Bellevue University was accredited by this non-profit organization in 1977, and is therefore recognized by the CHEA. Because the school is regionally accredited, employers and other educational facilities will recognize the diploma or credits you obtained from Bellevue.

The online school has a huge number of course offerings for their students; about fifty undergrad and thirteen graduate degrees. However, not all of these are under the Accelerated Program especially the Masters degrees. So if you are interested in finishing for the shortest period of time, you might want to check via the school’s website, Bellevue.edu, if the degree you want can be finished within 12 to 15 months. The undergraduate degrees range from Healthcare, Business, Public Safety, Information Technology to Human Capital.

Bellevue is an ideal online college for adults looking to fast track their education and pursue their life goals.

However, there is a misconception amongst students who think that taking up an AP course is all they need for their college applications to look good; especially if they have a score of A or B. Contrary to this belief, many colleges prefer that students take the exam as well in order for them to know the student’s mastery of the course that they took up. So if you are a junior taking up any of the courses offered in the Advance Placement Program, be sure to take the examination and score a 5 or 4 to make your application college more accurate.

You will also need to pass the exam of the AP course you’re taking up for it to be credited at the college where you will be attending. Again, this is a way of showing the university that you have mastered the course and you can be exempted from taking up the requirements of your major. In cases even, students are given credit for a full semester if they have a grade of 5. This will save the students a lot of effort time and money, and may even graduate earlier.

When AP courses are credited because the students have taken the exam, they have more free time to take up other electives or focus on their major subjects. The AP test gives the students an edge over those who did not take the exam because their time is spent on more pressing matters.

In the past, the Advanced Placement Program exams were not mandatory; giving the students the choice on whether or not they want to take the test. But a new policy is forcing students to sit down for a 3 hour rigorous exam. Although many students and parents are against this, the College Board is adamant on their view that a final exam is an important factor for any student to pass the course, and the Advanced Placement Program is not different from any other subject that students take up.

With the promise of early graduation and a lot of savings, many students who take up the AT test do not even consider the university they will be applying for. One must remember that not all colleges will credit your AP courses, even with a score of 5, and students will still have to take up the course in the university. So it’s the responsibility of the student to find out whether or not the AP subject they’ll be taking up will be credited so as not to waste the $83 fee for the test.

Although Ashwood University sounds like a legitimate name for an online school, its accreditations are inadequate. The school is unlisted or unrecognized by the two major accreditation bodies in the US, which are the Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The accreditation agencies they supplied in their website are rumored to be run by the same people operating this diploma mill. Other websites linked to Ashwood are replica-diplomas.com, speedydegrees.com, affordabledegrees.com, Belford University and Rochville University. The names of the first three sites are already a dead giveaway, but there are still those who choose to cheat and climb their way up with a fake diploma.

Don’t even bother showing the diploma from Ashwood University to various legitimate schools in the US, because these organizations can spot a fake diploma from a real one. Huge corporations and medium sized business do not also accept degrees from unaccredited Universities.

When you place an order for a diploma, the package will be coming in from an address in Pakistan. The school has no ties in the United States and there is no physical address listed in the website; not even a PO Box. There is, however, a contact form if you would like to communicate with the school. A phone number is listed and you may call them any time of the day, 7 days a week. Although it’s a 1-866 number, we all know how easy it is to obtain an international toll free number nowadays.

Delving deeper into the website, you’ll notice that you only need to fill out a form in order to get a degree from the school. Life experience, as they call it, is enough to grant you a college diploma, a Master’s and Doctorate degrees. Many diploma mills use the same “life experience exam” to gauge the knowledge of one person. There was even a dog that was able to get a Medical degree by its 5 year experience going through a hospital’s garbage.

There have been many exposes done by journalists, but the site still continues to plague the internet. The FBI has since known that this school is another diploma mill; but Ashwood is still operating and probably earning off of those who did not have the common sense to do their research. The only way that this scam operation will stop is when people start getting smarter and stop paying for a useless diploma.

Don’t be fooled into another scam that will just rob you off your money. Stay away from diploma mills like Ashwood University and go to an accredited educational facility – even if it will take you 4 years to finish. Sometimes, the short way out isn’t the solution to your problems.