Chimera of Affordable Online Education

Come to think of it, a chimera is an imaginary bird, much sought after but rarely found. It cannot be found due to the fact that it does not exist. It can only exist in the imagination, because it is unreal. Just like affordable online education.

To understand the problem, the gravity of the situation, so to speak, we must first know who the average student is. He is certainly not one who can apply to the traditional brick and mortar universities. This is because even if he gets a place, he will not be able to put together the finances required to complete the course. On an average, in the U.S, a two year full time masters program costs upwards of $ 70,000 excluding accommodation costs and other additional expenses. It has to be noted that what you get is top notch stuff, an accredited degree much revered and valued by the recruiters in the job market. The question is how one gets there without the financial resources available either through personal funds or scholarships. The average student who has an interest in studying the subject has no other option other than shelving his plans for pursuing a higher degree. He just cannot afford the costs.

Since the turn of the century, we have seen the advent of online courses. These courses offer the convenience of not having to attend university classes and hence cutting out the accommodation and additional expenses from the entire picture, but what about the course fees?

Well, it almost remains the same. A master’s course can be completed in a year and a half for about $28,000 at the ‘convenient and affordable’ North Central University; what’s more you can even attend the graduation ceremony on campus. Other online universities like Phoenix, Capella and Western International University charge much higher course fees for their masters programs. What the student gets is an accredited degree, much valued in the job street, but is this education still beyond the reach of many students who are interested in higher studies, you bet it is.

The main question to be raised is why the student is being charged as much as $30,000 – $ 40,000 for online degrees when in reality the courses can be classified as distance learning courses. The main components of the full-time program of study are not available to the online learner, namely direct contact with the tutors, interaction with classmates and face to face discussions. I raised this question directly with an online university and they replied by explaining that learning was conducted in a synchronous format, wherein classes were conducted online, students could view lectures conducted on campus through their computer screens, ask question and interact with other online learners simultaneously through discussion forums. They explained to me that the program was quite high tech and this is what prevented them from keeping costs low at the online university!