Fuel Prices Fueling Interest in Online Education
You don't have to be that old to remember when gas cost less than a dollar per gallon. After all, that was true in some places just 10 years ago.
But as stories like that become more quaint than contemporary, Americans are doing everything in their power to stay away from the pump. For those pursuing higher ed, soaring gas prices are the latest factor driving interest in
In the past, students seeking to save money on education expenses would consider community college first. Now, with gas prices still well over three dollars per gallon, students are getting on board with online education to save money on commuting costs. The cash saved could easily amount to the cost of groceries, books, or entertainment.
Of course, online enrollment has been growing for years -- according to the Sloan Consortium's 2007 report "Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning," enrollment rates at online schools have increased at an annual rate of 9.7 percent, compared to an overall rate of 1.5 percent for all colleges combined. But it seems the spike in gas prices has tipped the scales even further.
Pumped Up Online Learning Interest
An informal online poll at The Victoria College (Victoria, TX), for example, revealed that 42 percent of students planned to take online classes because of gas prices. And Villanova University's (Villanova, PA) college of engineering saw a 40 percent increase in online enrollment this past summer -- even though summer enrollment at the school typically stays flat.
And these students are not forsaking quality for cost savings. They're joining the ranks of those who have already realized that online education can be just as good as, or even better than, face-to-face courses. In an Eduventures survey of 500 human resource professionals, 62 percent of employers believed an online degree was equivalent to or better than a traditional degree.
High-quality courses and zero commuting costs of gas, tolls, parking, and traffic tension -- why not pursue online education?
But as stories like that become more quaint than contemporary, Americans are doing everything in their power to stay away from the pump. For those pursuing higher ed, soaring gas prices are the latest factor driving interest in
online education
.In the past, students seeking to save money on education expenses would consider community college first. Now, with gas prices still well over three dollars per gallon, students are getting on board with online education to save money on commuting costs. The cash saved could easily amount to the cost of groceries, books, or entertainment.
Of course, online enrollment has been growing for years -- according to the Sloan Consortium's 2007 report "Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning," enrollment rates at online schools have increased at an annual rate of 9.7 percent, compared to an overall rate of 1.5 percent for all colleges combined. But it seems the spike in gas prices has tipped the scales even further.
Pumped Up Online Learning Interest
An informal online poll at The Victoria College (Victoria, TX), for example, revealed that 42 percent of students planned to take online classes because of gas prices. And Villanova University's (Villanova, PA) college of engineering saw a 40 percent increase in online enrollment this past summer -- even though summer enrollment at the school typically stays flat.
And these students are not forsaking quality for cost savings. They're joining the ranks of those who have already realized that online education can be just as good as, or even better than, face-to-face courses. In an Eduventures survey of 500 human resource professionals, 62 percent of employers believed an online degree was equivalent to or better than a traditional degree.
High-quality courses and zero commuting costs of gas, tolls, parking, and traffic tension -- why not pursue online education?
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