In a conversation that I was having with my wife about her taking one class at a time while attending Capella University versus taking two classes at a time when she attended a brick and mortar school we both came to the conclusion that for older students with an established life completing and education at an online college has many benifits.

Time has to be the biggest advantage distance education universities have over brick and mortar schools.  Having a classroom available 24/7 is much better than being confined to class attendance during traditional working hours.  Even with this the class is still subject to the limitations of technology, but the good part about this is that during a technology failure it affects all students not just some.

Other points that make distance education more desireable to older students than a traditional education include:

1. Savings on transportation costs
2. Networking with students that share similar stations in life
3. None of the distractions that go with attending class on a traditional campus
4. Full focus on one subject at a time
5. Savings on books

Overall distance education is attractive for individuals that are looking to finish a previous degree or start out new becasue the focus of most online higher educational programs is to cut out anything that is not needed to reach all of your academic goals.

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