Review of the Education Connection Website to Obtain Online College Information
School Matching
When you first visit the Education Connection site, you see a large yellow box at the top of the page that says “I know what program I am interested in.” When you click on this banner, you are brought to a page where you can check your educational preferences such as:
- Ability to transfer prior credits
- Credit for life experience
- A flexible schedule
- 24 hour technical support
- Scholarships, grants and loans
- Textbook costs included in tuition
- Individual academic advising and tutoring
You can then fill out information on your background and goals, and fill out contact information so that you can receive information on schools that match your needs.
Resource Center
The main section of the homepage includes five boxes that contain links to helpful information when looking to obtain an online college degree. These sections included:
- Online Advantages
- Self-Assessment Tools
- Careers & Programs
- Paying for School
- Things to Know
These sections are full of information outside of just links to schools and their offerings. The section on Online Advantages explains what to expect in the online classroom, stories from students who have graduated with online degrees, what your degree may be worth, and also included is information from educational experts.
The Self-Assessment Tools are helpful for gauging whether you are suited for pursuing an online education. After answering a series of rated questions, it will give you some basic information on whether an online education is right for you. It explains your answers and adds additional information to help explain your answers. There is also a personality quiz that can help in your decision-making process.
Under Careers and Programs, after answering a few questions, they send you to a page with programs that match your needs. When you select the occupation that best matches your goals, you then click “Match Me by my Occupation.” This takes you through the same litany of questions as are listed in the above School Matching section. It is the same list and the same process that is offered.
The section labeled Paying for School offers you links to learn more about:
- Grants, Scholarships, and Work Study
- Federal Loans
- Private/Alternative Loans
- Tax Credits
- Military Benefits
- Loan Consolidation
These links take you to informational pages that then include links to some of the actual applications that you will need to apply for financial aid.
The last section in the Resource Center is labeled Things to Know. This is kind of like a catch-all page listing links to:
- Accreditation
- FAQ’s
- Admissions Process
- Interesting Articles
- Glossary of Terms
- Transferring Credit
Summary
Overall, this site offers a lot more information than others I have reviewed. In addition to programs, you are guided toward the process of choosing an online program if you have not already reached this step. With the addition of information on financial aid and other articles regarding online educational programs, it is worth visiting the Education Connection.
This post is part of the series: Online College Degree
Many factors come in to play when trying to decide on the right online college degree for you. Here is a list of references to assist you in your decisions.
