It’s always interesting to see how people with no experience with online degrees react when I mention my accredited associates degree in paralegal studies.  A lot of people are impressed or simply recognize that they know nothing about it, but not all people.  Some people laugh or scoff. 

Sometimes people assume an attitude that seems to say “good for you, you tried.”  Other people react like I “beat the system” by meeting the technical requirements for certification without meeting the spirit of them.  This second set of reactions, I suppose, is based on some misconceptions about what an online degree is and how one goes about acquiring one.  I thought I’d take a minute to set the record straight. 

There are many kinds of online degrees, from the bachelors degree to the associate degree.  There’s even the illustrious pharmacy technician certification board.  The main point I’d like to make, is that you don’t simply run through the motions of an education online.  People get the idea that a machine teaches you, or that the process is somehow mechanistic.  It’s not.  Real people-qualified professionals-are in charge of your education, and in addition to your coursework, you’re responsible for keeping in touch with them and following their guidance.

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Universities and colleges are ranked on a number of different elements; some are more objective than others (such as statistical information).  College and university rankings are used in a number of ways, least of which is the prestige of those schools that hold top positions.  Different ranking systems measure different statistics and facts, and these ranks are used for evaluating a variety of elements at each school such as academic success and administrative efficiency. 

One of the ranking systems, Webmetrics Ranking of World Universities, is devoted to ranking schools based on the academic and research element.  Newsweek publishes the Top 100 Global Universities.  These ranks are compiled from information such as the number of researchers, articles, the percentage of international faculty and students, ratio of faculty to students and the number of library holdings. 

Yet another ranking system, the Mines ParisTech Professional Ranking of World Universities which bases its rankings on the status of graduates within a certain time period after their completion of studies, such as salary, senior managerial positions occupied and new companies started by graduates of any given school.  There are a variety of school ranking systems, but only when several are considered together can one truly get a sense for what the ranking of a school ought to be, as they all consider different criteria.

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The G.I. Bill was designed to provide tuition assistance to veterans returning from World War II.  Since then, additional veteran tuition assistance programs have been developed and implemented, such as the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.  This bill is modeled after its predecessor, and grants one hundred percent tuition at a four-year university for veterans having served three or more years of active duty since 2001.  Of course, some controversy exists, mainly over the “buy-up” program designed to bridge the first and second of these bills. 

As with all legislation, there are those who are for it, and those who oppose it.  Also, as with all legislation, there are a number of stipulations that govern the implementation of this new act.  The rules and regulations set forth by the bill can be confusing, but there are a number of resources that provide a break-down of the information regarding the bill and what it entails for each veteran.  Some resources that can be found online include an F.A.Q. that provides answers to questions such as “Do the benefits expire?”  (Incidentally, the benefits are available for up to fifteen years after a veteran is discharged, or after the end of their minimum three years of active duty.)

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