One of the great things about technology today is the ability to disperse information in a quick fashion.  The letter below is in response to a possible ruling by the department of education to what schools can offer for both online and offline courses.  You can read more about it here.  If you would like to write a letter as well it need to be sent to negreg09@ed.gov the email address the Department Of Education has set up. Comments will be accepted up until June 23, 2009.  Below my letter is the formula that your letter should follow.  Lastly, contact your school or perspective school to see how this ruling that may not be decided till this Fall could possibly affect you in 2010.

Dear Department of Education,

I am a graduate of Ashford University’s online program and I am submitting my comments in regards to the DOE’s 34 CFR Chapter VI Negotiated Rulemaking. I would like to provide my experience in regards to the online program at Ashford and encourage you to take my email into consideration in your deliberations.

As recent graduate from Ashford my academic journey was fantastic. I transferred 68 credits and completed 52 credits in less than two years to earn a BA in Organizational Management. The cost of attending Ashford is far less than some schools that offer less in terms of education. For this reason now that I have finished my Bachelor’s I will pursue a Master’s starting in the Fall of 2009.

The 5-week schedule was perfect for me, and I would recommend it for anyone that wants to be in and out of school with no hassle. Going from one class to another with no break as well as knowing almost immediately what to expect from each class put my mind at ease allowing me to study.

Each class followed a simple formula. 2 discussion board posts per week, 1 quiz per week, and an 8-page paper due in week five. I graduated summa cum laude by simply following directions and not trying to bend things to my own personal desires.

The most important aspect of my time with Ashford was having the ability to apply the things that I learned directly to my small business. As an older student this was very important to me, because I did not want to waste time learning something that I could not apply immediately. Ashford University and its professors did a fabulous job of preparing me for my career goals.

I learned a lot from my interaction with the other students and professors at Ashford. I highly recommend Ashford University to anyone thinking of continuing their education. I was so impressed by my time at Ashford I started a blog that will not only detail my time with Ashford but will discuss the finer points of pursuing a degree online. http://distancetips.com.

I hope that your rulemaking will allow future students to have the same access, as I had, to an Ashford University education.

Sincerely,

Glen L Johnson

Dear Department of Education,

• I am a graduate of Ashford University’s online program and I am submitting my comments in regards to the DOE’s 34 CFR Chapter VI Negotiated Rulemaking.  I would like to provide my experience in regards to the online program at Ashford and encourage you to take my email into consideration in your deliberations.

(This paragraph should be in your own words. Possible things to highlight in “your story”:

- The value of an online education – accessibility/flexibility

- Price/tuition affordability

- Transferability and definition of credits

- Accreditation

- Accelerated schedule

- Overall value of earning an advanced degree

- Quality of education)

• I hope that your rulemaking will allow future students to have the same access, as I had, to an Ashford University education.

Sincerely,

(Your name

Street Address

City/State/Zip)

I have decided that it would be best for the longterm success of this blog to move it to a standalone domain.  It was nice to start off with Wordpress.com but I already know with the success of other projects that this is the best decision for me to be able to bring the best to you the reader.

There maybe several more changes over the next few weeks so I wanted to apoligize now for any problems you may face.  Thanks again for stopping by Distance Tips, a blog about online education from the students perspective.

I went to college the first time in the 1980’s when financial aid paid me more than I made on my $3.32 an hour job.  Fast forward to 2009, students are faced with shrinking grants, smaller scholarships, increases in tuition, and HUGE student loans.  Before you run away, here me out and don’t be afraid to get a loan if you think of it as an investment in your future.

In my case with Ashford they have what is called a pre-qualification system that you will be eligible for a specific amount upon acceptance.  It is not this way with every school, meaning that you will need to do research on the school that you pick.  Regardless of what type of aid you end up with  it all starts with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Breaking down the most common types of aid that students pay for college with include:

Grants

Federal Grants are free money from the government that does not have to be paid back.  As I stated before the amount of grant money awards today are not as much as they were 20 years ago.  Personally I would think of grant money as a way to buy books and tie up loose ends connected to continuing your education.

Scholarships

Believe it or not there are thousands of scholarships available every year worth billions of dollars.  The trick is that there are so many that advertising for them is tough.  Websites like Fastweb will help during your search, but good old fashioned leg work to your local library is probably your best bet.

Loans

The Stafford loan is probably the most common type of loan that students obtain to pay for their education, me included.  To obtain Stafford loan contact the financial aid office at the school of your choice to find out the guidelines and application deadlines.

In my case, financial aid was so seamless that I was three weeks into school before the paperwork caught up to me.  Today with online education becoming more popular financial aid methods are becoming more streamlined so that that you can concentrate on studying.