The Cost of Online Education

The preferential cost of online education has to be one of the first things that comes to mind when making the decision about getting back into education. Although more traditional, physical schools or colleges can be daunting to people who haven’t studied in a while and so they are put off with the whole idea, until they consider online education. Adult education costs are rapidly rising so it makes sense that prospective students are often looking for the best deal.

Online learning is generally less expensive than traditional education. Here are some of the differences in cost between online education and traditional education, and what you can expect from each.

Traditional College Tends to be More Expensive than Online Learning for a Variety of Reasons

Traditional colleges come with a certain kind of experience including social interactions and extra-curricular activities which online education do not provide. This comes at a cost.

Offering these programs, operating buildings, and maintaining the onsite staff needed to support students in all areas requires a significant amount of overhead, and is therefore quite expensive. And typically, that cost will be reflected in students’ tuition costs.

Younger students often expect and benefit from this environment. They thrive from the support structures offered. They also benefit from government funding schemes which older students are less likely to be entitled to.

Online Learning is Generally a More Affordable Option

In most cases, it can be found that the cost of online education is a more affordable option. You’ll get a high-quality education at a much lower cost due to the lower overhead needed to operate online programs. Not only does tuition tend to be lower, but many additional expenses, such as transportation costs and course materials, are eliminated in an online program.

However, it’s important to note that the average cost of online education is still a significant investment. Many people go into their search for a course (such as a Level 3 Diploma) thinking that online learning will be very cheap and are often surprised when they find out that tuition is still quite high. However, most colleges are happy to work with students to provide options which are affordable.

Spreading the Cost of Online Education

Before committing to an online course, we always advise students to do their research into the financial commitment of learning online. It’s always wise to do a Google search or student loan companies to see what you’re entitled to and what you can get help with. Some students often find that their employer is able to pay for some or all of their course costs out of their CPD budget.

Oxford Learning College is happy to provide instalment payment options to make payment easier for their students. These payment plans are interest free and don’t require any form of credit checking before you are accepted, they are also available to all students around the world. We are able to put together a plan which the student is able to commit to.