Distance Tips » Distance Learning

The Journey into Earning a Master’s Degree Online

Glen — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:23:34 +0000

I mentioned earlier I would be talking about my journey to get back into school this Fall by detailing some of the steps that I have taken and the results. At this point there really is not much to tell other than being a huge cheerleader for my alma mater Ashford University and distance learning in general. On the subject of scholarship money for grad school I have found out quickly that there is little money from even fewer sources.

Joining Scholarships.com has been more helpful than any other financial aid website thus far. Only seeing a list of scholarships instead of a ton of internships that are not in my area or are based on specific schools is a very good thing. Though I wish they would change the navigation so that all of the selections to get information on schools can be turned off if you know what school you are going to attend.

My guiding angel Rhonda from my undergrad time referred me to Caroline to get the ball rolling as a grad student. I was a bit surprised by a bit of information that was in her initial email to me. “Only 10% of the population that has their bachelor’s has a Masters, so you are entering into an elite group by pursing your degree!” I just knew that this number was a lot higher because it seemed as if everyone that I talked to over the age of 30 has a Master’s degree in something! It is good to know that I will be part of a small but powerful group of individuals once I am done. Now if I can put my 3.90 GPA from my undergrad degree to work for some financial aid that would be the icing on the cake!

Hopefully I will get some help from the 10 scholarships that I have applied for. At this point I do not think that any of them will come in time for me to start class in August, but I can dream. Oh by the way if there are any companies out there that want to sponsor my education in return for star coverage on my blog feel free to contact me. Up next tips in streamlining the scholarship application process.

Hunting for Distance Learning Scholarship Money

Glen — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:16:17 +0000

I have decided that I will be started grad school in pursuit of my MBA with an Entrepreneur specialty at Ashford University in the Fall. The stumbling block that I have encountered is finding some scholarship money. Patting myself on the back for a minute, I graduated with a 3.90 GPA so I think that I should be eligible for a scholarship from somebody. FYI: if there are any award committees out there that are willing to sponsor me in furthering my education that would be great. In return of course I would attend school and promote your program on this blog.

I emailed Ashford and was sent a list of scholarships that I will be going through and reporting on the process. I will report the good, bad, and ugly of the application process to hopefully help others in their financial aid journey. I hope the list helps you guys out. If anyone knows of any other ways to get funding for school please let me know.

www.wiredscholar.com
www.fastweb.com
www.finaid.org

www.srnexpress.com

1) Hispanic College Fund Scholarships www.hispanicfund.org

2) Student Inventors Scholarships http://www.invent.org/collegiate/

3) Student Video Scholarships
http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html

4) Coca-Cola Two Year College Scholarships
http://www.coca-colascholars.org/programs.html

5) Holocaust Remembrance Scholarships http://holocaust.hklaw.com/

6) Ayn Rand Essay Scholarships http://www.aynrand.org/contests/

7) Brand Essay Competition
http://www.instituteforbrandleadership.org/IBLEssayContest-2002Rules.html

Gates Millennium Scholarships (major)
http://www.gmsp.org/nominationmaterials/read.dbm?ID=12

9) Xerox Scholarships for Students
http://www2.xerox.com/go/xrx/about_xerox/about_xerox_detail.jsp

10) Sports Scholarships and Internships
http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html

11) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ)
http://www.nabj.org/html/studentsvcs.html

12) Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary)
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mb/mrphr/jobs/stw.html

13) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/sk_v6.cfm

14) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid scholarships
http://www.finaid.org/

15) Presidential Freedom Scholarships
http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships/

16) Microsoft Scholarship Program
http://www.microsoft.com/college/scholarships/minority.asp

17) WiredScholar Free Scholarship Search
http://www.wiredscholar.com/paying/scholarship_search/pay_scholarship_search.jsp

18) Hope Scholarships & Lifetime Credits
http://www.ed.gov/inits/hope/

19) William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students
http://www.apsanet.org/PS/grants/aspen3.cfm

20) Multiple List of Minority Scholarships
http://gehon.ir.miami.edu/financial-assistance/Scholarship/black.html

21) Guaranteed Scholarships http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/

22) BOEING scholarships (some HBCU connects)
http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/educationrelations/scholarships

23) Easley National Scholarship Program
http://www.naas.org/senior.htm

24) Maryland Artists Scholarships http://www.maef.org/

26) Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in South Florida) http://www.jackituckfield.org/

27) Historically Black College & University Scholarships
http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm

28) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students
http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarships.htm

29) International Students Scholarships & Aid Help
http://www.iefa.org/

30) College Board Scholarship Search
http://cbweb10p.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/fundfind01.html

31) Burger King Scholarship Program http://www.bkscholars.csfa.org/

32) Siemens Westinghouse Competition
http://www.siemens-foundation.org/

33) GE and LuLac Scholarship Funds
http://www.lulac.org/Programs/Scholar.html

34) CollegeNet’s Scholarship Database
http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index

35) Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid
http://www.aflcio.org/scholarships/scholar.htm

36) Federal Scholarships & Aid Gateways 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm

37) Scholarship & Financial Aid Help
http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm

38) Scholarship Links (Ed Finance Group)
http://www.efg.net/link_scholarship.htm

39) FAFSA On The Web (Your Key Aid Form & Info)
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

40) Aid & Resources For Re-Entry Students
http://www.back2college.com/

41) Scholarships and Fellowships
http://www.osc.cuny.edu/sep/links.html

42) Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies
http://www.paralegals.org/Choice/2000west.htm

43) HBCU Packard Sit Abroad Scholarships (for study around the world)
http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/packard_nomination.html

44) Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
http://ccmi.uchicago.edu/schl1.html

45) INROADS internships http://www.inroads.org/

46) ACT-SO bEURoe “Olympics of the Mind” B Scholarships
http://www.naacp.org/work/actso/act-so.shtml

47) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships
http://www.baeo.org/options/privatelyfinanced.jsp

48) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing
http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html

49) Graduate Fellowships for Minorities Nationwide
http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/list.phtml?category=MINORITIES

50) RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS AT OXFORD
http://www.rhodesscholar.org/info.html

51) The Roothbert Scholarship Fund http://www.roothbertfund.org

52) Undergraduate Summer Research Programs in Biology at Harvard, MIT and Washington University http://www.genetics.wustl.edu/rmlab/

53) BELL LABS FELLOWSHIPS FOR UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITIES
http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/CRFP/info.html

Also, here are links for student aid information, and also the link to the California Student Aid Commission.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html

http://www.csac.ca.gov/

US Army Chooses Ashford University as a Letter-of-Instruction School – Press Release

Glen — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:11:01 +0000

As an Ashford Alumni I couldn’t be more proud of my school and everything it will do to help out the men and women of the United States Army.

Ashford University has been selected by the U.S. Army for participation as a Letter-of-Instruction (LOI) school. As an LOI school, Ashford University will be listed on the GoArmyEd Web site (www.goarmyed.com) as a preferred learning institution for active-duty soldiers.

“Ashford University continues to focus on enhancing its military-friendly programs, raising the bar whenever possible,” said K.C. Haight, associate vice president of military and corporate development. “Becoming a GoArmyEd LOI school helps us to do that.”

GoArmyEd is a dynamic online portal designed for active-duty Army personnel who are interested in pursuing their college degrees. Labeled “a virtual gateway to education” by GoArmyEd, the site allows soldiers to manage their education via an easy-to-use and readily available Web site, immediately connecting them to things such as tuition assistance, distance learning options and course content.

Haight added, “The GoArmyEd system is automated, so a number of previously paper-based forms are now located online. Before that, everything had to be done through a soldier’s Army education counselor.”

While the focus of GoArmyEd’s site is on active-duty Army personnel, Ashford University also provides education benefits to all qualified military personnel including active-duty members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves. Additionally, Ashford University provides these same benefits to active-duty spouses, veterans or retirees who are utilizing VA benefits, vocational rehabilitation students, college-age spouses or dependents who are utilizing survivor benefits, and Department of Defense employees.

Ashford University’s low military enrollment fees were set up to match the tuition assistance that is available to all military personnel through the GI Bill. Qualifying students can receive up to $4,500 per year, which covers the cost of six online AU courses. Ashford University also waives the application and technology fees, and pays for all military students’ books and applicable shipping costs.

“An education is the greatest weapon we can offer our men and women in uniform, and we owe them the opportunity. I believe we should do everything in our power to provide them and their support system with a promising academic future,” Haight said.

About Ashford University
Founded in 1918, Ashford University is a coeducational higher education institution regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, with programs in education, business, accounting, criminal and social justice, computer animation and graphic design, and other areas. The University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as a range of student activities and athletics, at its Clinton, Iowa, campus. Online degree programs are available in education, organizational management, business administration, and psychology. The University offers high quality yet highly affordable on-campus and online programs, with tuition fees among the lowest in the U.S. compared with other private institutions. Its tagline is: “Higher Education Made Affordable”SM. For more information, please contact Shari Rodriguez, director of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513 or visit www.ashford.edu.

Graduation is the Culmination of a Long Distance Learning Journey

Glen — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:11:33 +0000

This past weekend I attended the graduation ceremony in order to receive recognition of finishing my degree online from Ashford University. Even though I received my actual diploma in the mail weeks ago attending the ceremony was more about the accomplishment than the piece of paper signifying that I complete my BA in Organizational Management.

The drive from Arkansas to Iowa was hard but all the weariness left me when I stepped foot onto the campus and received my first honor which was the maroon and gold cord that showed my membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda the academic national honor society. Most of the rest of the first day was spent taping an interview for the schools recruiting drive and shopping in the campus bookstore. While I was telling my story I got pretty choked up talking about how my Ashford advisor Rhonda and my wife helped me out. Those that are taking classes online know that without a large support group then it makes it hard to focus on your classwork.

Talking to the other students who were part of the largest graduating class in school history was great. Our class represented 40 states and 6 countries. I thought me driving over 600 miles was tough but to know that people flew from as far away as Brazil I was floored. If that doesn’t let you know that no matter where you are from or what you are doing you can get your degree I don’t know what will.

Graduation day I was full of nerves. Getting to the school to check in was a breeze. I gave them my name and was given a card that showed that I graduated Summa Cum Laude and was given a second purple and gold cord to wear to show that honor. When I crossed that stage and turned the tassel from right to left letting everyone know that I was an official graduate I almost jumped for joy. The ceremony went by very fast for which I am eternally grateful and ended with all the graduates being given a alumni license plate frame and an Ashford lapel pin.

If it sounds like I am a walking advertisement for the school, you are correct. I worked hard and sacrificed alot to reach my goal of finishing my bachelors degree and will be starting my MBA journey in the Fall. To anyone that doubts that taking classes online is legit the proof is in the pudding. If I can do it anyone and everyone should do it too!

10 Tools Distance Learners Should Know About

Glen — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:09:14 +0000

When it comes to distance learning there are many tools that can help but there are a few essential tools that even if you have a fundamental knowledge of you are virtually guaranteed success. Just being aware that such things exist gives you a leg up.

Message boards – Think of Yahoo Groups on steroids. Message boards allow users to post topics and members to reply to the topic. Being familiar with the message board format will get you ready to tackle Blackboard.
Blogs - The fact that you are reading this post says that you are aware of what a blog is. If you want to take it a step further you can start a blog of your own at either Blogger.com or Wordpress.com (I am partial to Wordpress myself).
RSS Feeds – I am sure that you have seen the little orange or blue icon that signal newsfeed subscriptions. But did you know that you can read those feeds in a news reader or in your email? Subscribing to the Distance Tips feed and reading it in readers like Google Reader will allow you to keep up with your favorite blogs and news sites.
Social Networking – More school officials are learning to go where the students are by making a presence on social networking sites like Twitter. Capella University has a large following on Twitter. My school Ashford has a good following on Facebook.
Youtube – Lectures from professors can be uploaded to sites like this to allow students and instructors to connect.
Instant Messaging – Though I am not as into Im’ing as I was years ago there is still a use for it in today’s distance learning environment. Yahoo, AOL and Google all have great instant messaging programs.
Podcasts – Lots of students young and old have Ipod’s or Mp3 players. In the distance learning environment assignments can be downloaded to your favorite player and listened to accordingly.
Web Based Collaboration – Tools found in Google Accounts like documents, presentation, maps, etc. allow students to work together regardless of location.
Smart phones – Classroom access via cell phones is a reality with the success of the Blackboard app for the Iphone. Expect to see more distance learning available this way.
Web Browsers – Internet Explorer is the most popular browser but there are others Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. Knowing about at least two of these browsers will help you out in case you cannot access the classroom for some reason in the regular browser you always use. I personally used Firefox and Google Chrome but most classrooms are built to work best with IE, thank goodness that is changing.

Not one item listed above is required, but if you want to have a smooth successful journey into distance education it will help you out to be somewhat familiar with these tools.

Will We Soon Have Paperless Universities

Glen — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:05:35 +0000

Though I am a strong supporter of distance learning I think that there is still something about going to a brick and mortar building that reading a PDF on an electronic reader cannot replace. The below article makes a great arguement for a “paperless university”, but for my money I don’t want to see brick and mortar schools go extinct.

Anaheim University, the World’s First Paperless University?

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Mountains of paper, shelves of books and rows of filing cabinets are being replaced by PDFs, electronic book readers and hard drives. Anaheim University, the nationally accredited California-based institution, who pioneered online education in the mid-nineties as one of the world’s first entirely online universities to host live web-based classes taught by experts, has now committed to being paperless by 2010. This directive has caused Anaheim to push publishers to produce e-books, as well as adopt technical innovations such as the Sony book reader that allow the entire university’s curriculum of textbooks to be stored in a portable palm-sized electronic reader.

Anaheim University President Dr. William Hartley, who became the 615th university head to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment in February 2009, stated, “We don’t want to be hypocritical by teaching our students to be sustainable while chopping down trees and wasting energy to do so. Times have changed and universities need to practice what they teach.” The ACUPCC is a highly visible effort organizing U.S. college and university presidents and chancellors to address global warming by minimizing global warming emissions and providing education in an effort to achieve climate neutrality.

But can a university actually be completely paperless? According to Chief Communications Officer David Bracey, “Anaheim’s students have submitted assignments electronically and accessed online library resources since 1998. This year we switched from paper to e-catalogs, and digital publishing has replaced the submission of multiple copies of bound theses. We are endeavoring to convert all administrative procedures into digital format by 2010. Being online since our inception gives us a head-start on the traditional bricks and mortar institution. We hope to inspire not only traditional universities, but also our students who can have the same kind of environmental impact on the organizations that employ them.”

Anaheim University’s Kisho Kurokawa Green Institute is named in honor of the renowned Japanese eco-minded architect who designed such sustainable projects as the award-winning Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Through the Green Institute, Anaheim University offers various Sustainable Management programs including an Online Green MBA, a Certificate in Sustainable Management and a Diploma in Sustainable Management.

About Anaheim University

Anaheim University is a nationally accredited online institution of higher learning headquartered in Anaheim, California.

Tel: 1-800-955-6040

Website: http://www.anaheim.edu/greenmba

Distance Education Vs. Traditional Education

Glen — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:13:32 +0000

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:

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

Social Networking Links:

Capella on Twitter

Capella on Facebook

Is Your Online School of Choice Accredited?

Glen — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:42:47 +0000

In continuing with the Problogger 31 Day Challenge today’s assignment is to write a link post. My chosen link is to the about.com blog on distance education and a post in particular dealing with whether or not your school of choice is acredited. It is really no surprise that there is a blog on distance education on About.com, this website is a rich source of information on just about any subject.

When I attended Ashford I really didn’t think about whether or not their distance education program was accredited considering that the brick and mortar campus has been in existence since 1918. Using the website listed to reach the U.S. Department of Education’s College website I was able to obtain the following information. While not specifically on Ashford it cover distance education programs in the state of Iowa as well as 18 other states.

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
1952/2008/Fall 2012

Scope of recognition: the accreditation and pre-accreditation (”Candidate for Accreditation”) of degree-granting institutions of higher education in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, including tribal institutions, and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these institutions. This recognition extends to the Institutional Actions Committee jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission for decisions on cases for continued accreditation or reaffirmation and continued candidacy. This recognition also extends to the Review Committee of the Accreditation Review Council, jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission, for decisions on cases for continued accreditation or candidacy and for initial candidacy or initial accreditation when there is a consensus decision by the Review Committee.

Sylvia Manning, President

If you are still in research mode for a distance education institution the search that I did took less than a minute and gave me all the information that I needed to know about my particular school. With the increased popularity of distance education I am sure thare are some “schools” that are cropping up that are scams. It is nice to know that there is a resource out there to help narrow down the choice of schools to attend online.

I highly reccommend adding the distance learning blog to your daily reading so that you can be up to date on additional things regarding making the journey back into higher education.

Pinpoint The Peak Time to Study

Glen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:48:31 +0000

One of the things that a distance education student has to contend with just like any other student is when to study. When you start your first class there will be guidelines to follow in regards to attendance and assignment due dates. Within that time frame you will need to figure out when you can study taking into account work, family, and other outside obligations.

I wish that I could take credit for the gems listed below. They came from my time at Ashford University as one of the tips offered in the many helpful areas of the online classroom.

Like many things, you’ll find that you’ll get 80% of your studying done in 20% of your study time. That means that during that 20% of time, you’ll get the most out of what you’re studying. Try to figure out when you study the best – maybe in the early morning, maybe late at night – and work on your more difficult study subjects during that time.

It would be irresponsible for me to tell you when the best time is to study. Study time for students taking classes online will vary almost as much as the stories for why students enrolled in the first place. The only tip that I can tell you that works is that studying a minimum of 6-8 hours a week will give you more than enough time to complete every assignment no matter the difficulty level. If you study more then that will put you in an even better position as long as you make the best of your time. For additional study tips check out 10 Ways to study or your upcoming online classes for more pointers on studying.

Are Most Distance Education Blogs Nothing More Than Splogs?

Glen — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:19:41 +0000

This month I have been taking part in the Problogger project 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Today’s assignment was Analyze a top blog in your niche which I thought would not be that much of a problem considering how long distance/online education programs have been available. How quickly I found out that the majority of the blogs out there lumped everything under the general topic of e-learning.

Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with this but what I found in over a dozen sites that I found through Google and Technorati was that most of the blogs were not much older than mine with Adsense ads everywhere or had not been updated in years. The most common thread among all of them they had a drop down list of information for you to fill out so that you can get information from schools. Nothing that I found in almost an hour of looking lead me to anything that seemed to be written from the aspect of someone that ACTUALLY earned a higher education degree online.

With my plus size fashion blog in its early days on Blogger it was flagged as being a splog a.ka. spam blog becasue of the affiliate banners which made me focus more on content than placing banners everywhere. Years later it has survived off content which is were I want to start this blog off with from the beginning, but it seems as if the blogs that are dedicated towards online education are more about individuals trying to make a quick buck than actually trying to help people in need.

Though these distance education splogs are full of information most of it is not of much value to individuals like me that are looking to find a serious alternative to going to a brick and mortar school. In the economy that we are facing in the United States today obtaining a degree online is becoming more of a reality for people looking to continue their journey into higher education while cutting back on the cost of travel and time that goes with a traditional education.

I will not be stopped in my search for other blogs in my chosen niche though the beginning of my journey tells me that there will be few sources out there that are being authored by students looking to help other students.