We’ve all heard the saying and perhaps experienced the truth in the phrase rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Digging below the quip, one of the major causes of generational income inequality is that the poor and increasingly the middle class do not have access to the education that is so easily available to their well-off fellow citizens. In the market scenario that’s prevalent today in the US, 70 percent of jobs require applicants to have completed their post secondary education, and less than 44 percent of Americans have a post secondary degree.
The reason behind the disparity in the numbers is that most people are unable to meet the high costs associated with continuing their education beyond the secondary stage. Rising tuition fees and increasing debt burdens are creating hurdles on the road to education and learning, and in the process to a better life. When people cannot afford a post secondary education, how is it possible for them to secure a job and earn enough to make a decent living?
Two years ago, the federal budget was modified to increase the amount of financial loans and grants provided to students so that they could continue their education even after high school and go on to college after a post secondary education. While this move will help in increasing the number of enrolments to post secondary courses, there’s another cost-effective alternative to this solution – online education. A number of institutions are offering distance education and online courses so that students are able to complete their post secondary education requirements online. The financial advantages of following such a course include:
- Students can both work and study simultaneously because of flexible study schedules present in online education.
- They are saved the time and cost associated with commuting to and from school.
- Adults with children who wish to pursue a post secondary education find online courses more convenient because they are not forced to pay for child care in the time they are away attending classes.
- The tuition fees associated with online post secondary education is considerably lower than that at regular institutions that offer face-to-face instruction.
While there are many advantages to studying online, the system does have its share of drawbacks, the most significant one being that students must be computer-literate and have easy access to a computer and Internet connection. Online study involves a higher level of discipline and dedication to learning, so this option works only if the students are strongly motivated to succeed.