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Accreditation – this is perhaps the most important of the rules. Accreditation confirms that the college meets certain educational standards that are set by the accrediting education agencies. If you earn credits from an accredited online distance education college, chances are you can transfer them to another accredited institution of your choice. Your chances for acquiring a new job or getting a promotion are greatly enhanced if your degree is accredited.

Be aware of degree mills – there are many questionable accrediting agencies out on the internet that are outright fraud and are willing to give fake “accreditation” to any institution willing to pay a certain fee. Some of the degree mills are even owned by these same fake accrediting agencies. Make sure you do your homework and thoroughly investigate the accreditation that the college of your choice claims to have. While many online colleges are legitimately accredited, be aware that there are many that are not. Check out your prospective college to see if the accrediting body is approved by the United States Department of Education or CHEA.

Before you choose an online college, it’s also important to think about what your long-terms plans and goals are as far as your education is concerned. Incase you intend to pursue further education, think about if you’ll need to transfer credits from one college to another. With this knowledge you’ll be able to choose a college that allows and accepts credit transfers.

Class size is as important in online education as it is in a traditional college classroom. Do your research on the average class sizes at the online distance education institution you are considering. Small classes make it easier to interact and voice your opinion.

Find out if the faculty hold any credentials and if they are qualified to teach the program you want to enroll in. If you can dig further to find out what degrees they hold and if they are experienced in teaching online students, this will save you the distress of finding out later that your instructor is a fellow un-qualified student with no education skills.

Support is very important to your success of online distance education program. Make sure you find if any and what level of support you will get from instructors, faculty and technical staff should you have problems with your classes or experience technical difficulties. Select a college that meets your standards of expectations.

Most colleges have their online classes rolling out all the time. This is a great thing and makes learning flexible. As such you should not feel pressured by the admission office or anyone else to start your program right away. You should start only when you feel your mind is set to it. This will ensure you stay motivated and put the effort you need to succeed with your classes.

Check out if your program will be offered entirely online or if it will require residency at some point in the course. Some online courses have site projects and require residency so let this not come as a surprise to you.

Check if the institution you’re interested in offers any form of financial aid assistance. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that financial aid, loans and the scholarships available to you. In addition, many colleges and universities offer tuition installment plans which help make college more affordable. Ask before you enroll whether such programs exist.

Don’t settle for less than quality programs and education when selecting your online distance education program. Unlike there before, when online degree options were severely limited, it is now possible for those willing to spend some time gathering information to find almost exactly the degree program that meets their needs.

Mary Jackson is an editor for online distance education colleges and programs where you can begin your search for accredited programs and degrees. Find more distance learning resource and tips for success with distance education.