Information graphics about e-learning are just now moving upward from boring graphs into the world of more exciting visuals. That said, the majority of interesting information about elearning remains somewhat boring visually. So, a crossbreeding occurs — one in which these 17 eye-popping infographics on e-learning and online education can either pop your eyes out visually through great images or mentally through the amazing information provided to create the graphics.

1. All About Video Games: Online Education has created a comprehensive infographic about the video game industry, providing updated statistics on consumer demographics, patterns, and ‘the console wars’. Most people understand that gaming is quite popular, but this infographic lays the facts out in the open. The only thing conspicuously missing is statistics on whether gamers are now using their video game consoles as entertainment centers.
2. Barriers to take-up of eLearning: This graph shows that people who are interested in eLearning still create barriers to using online learning materials. The largest barrier is the lack of interest in subjects, followed by resistance because an employer did not offer courses. The next barrier includes the resistance because the user was unsure whether or not online courses really could work for the individual.
3. eLearning in the USA: The Standard? The Benchmark? More than 3 million enrollments in online courses in the USA are reported by American sources. This graphic shows that the majority of those online degrees are in the associate level at 50 percent, followed by master’s degrees at 21 percent, then doctoral degrees, bachelor’s degrees and specialized degrees.
4. elearning Performance Benchmarking: This graph and a related slide show indicate that the elearning system in Australia — specifically New South Wales — is growing by leaps and bounds. Additionally, the graph shows that online graduates for courses would highly recommend online learning to their peers. Twelve elearning indicators were developed to measure the uptake, use and impact of e-learning in the vocational education and training (VET) system in Australia.
5. Jane Hart’s Top 100 Tech Resources of 2008: Jane Hart (of Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day) has compiled a list of her 100 favorite resources (articles, postings, PDFs, presentations, etc) about learning tools and technologies in 2008. In one of the more interesting infographics shown here, she also produced this Wordle word cloud using the titles.
6. Learning & Performance Dashboard: Several graphs on this page show the projected growth of elearning, corporate learning expenditures, frequency of use of learning methodologies and productivity. From these charts, it appears that e-learning peaked in 2003, but that it is growing again, with expenditures increasing as well. This means that, going forward, the amount of learning that will take place on the internet is expected to continue to grow. This is great for a variety of persons, especially those who currently are pursuing education degrees, as their validity will only increase.
7. Online Education Facts Infographic: If you’re a modern college student, there is a good chance you’re taking a certain percentage of your classes online, regardless of the school you’re attending. In fact, the odds are that you’re probably going to take at least one online-only class before you graduate. College Life did some research and found these facts about the growth and future of online education and put them into a cool little infographic. If you like it, you can copy the link and put it on your own blog.
8. Quality in e-Learning from a Learner’s Perspective: This article describes learners’ preferences in e-learning based on empirical results of today’s largest survey in this field. Several graphs qualify and quantify the elearners’ experiences from perspective, quality of services and individual management experiences. The article concludes that future quality development in e-learning has to be oriented at the learners needs and situation.
9. Size of Indian eLearning Industry: Custom Content: In the absence of any formal body like NASSCOM, the Indian eLearning Industry is virtually devoid of any official figures or statistics. All pointers to the size of this industry are mostly guesstimates. Relying upon information provided by friends through this industry, an accurate image of the true size of the industry came to light which is represented here through these charts provided by The Learned Man.
10. Student Budget: This is another information graphic that does not pertain particularly to elearning, but that can supply a comparison for elearning as opposed to traditional learning at the collegiate level. Some of the information on this graph may convince you that open source is the way to go, especially with the cost of textbooks, tuition and fees and room and board.
11. The context for supply and demand of public online services in Ireland: This article supplies a great deal of information about Ireland’s online capabilities. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about their eLearning statistics and to view this graphic about global eLearning statistics. Overall, eLearning can be said to be at an early stage in its development in Ireland, however, the uptake of eLearning is broadly in line with the European average across all sectors, but the USA leads in eLearning services.
12. The Economics of Learning Management Systems in Higher Education – Part I: This article and accompanying graph shows three trends identified by a study conducted by The California State University System and Delta Initiative, a consultancy group, entitled, “The State of the Learning Management in Higher Education Systems.” One statistic shows that the enterprise LMS market has settled around 5 products: Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and eCollege.
13. The Hype Cycle for E-Learning: An annual study published by Gartner, an IT advisory firm, looks at the popularity of emerging technologies, from Internet TV and e-books to microblogging sites such as Twitter, across a range of sectors. It tracks their progression as a function of expectations. The cycle ranges from over-enthusiasm as technology is hyped, through a period of disillusionment when it fails to deliver, via a slope of enlightenment to a “plateau of productivity” as users learn how best to employ it.
14. Towards a forward-thinking Acceptable Use Policy for mobile devices: Although this article focuses on UK schools, after reading the situation, you might relate the acceptable use policies (AUP) detailed here to uses in the US as well. eLearning requires connectivity, and this graph shows how possibilities can exist to allow various mobile devices into schools to enable that elearning process.
15. Unemployment Rate and Level of Education: While not totally focused on elearning, this graph shows that — among all individuals — that the uneducated have suffered the least employment from 1992 forward in the U.S. Additionally, with unemployment rates rising and continuing to rise, the individuals who have obtained bachelor’s degrees suffer less than any other individual when it comes to unemployment.
16. Uptake of eLearning: Among the 10 countries surveyed for this graph, Ireland, the U.K. and Denmark have the highest share of eLearning users. A person is more than three times as likely to do an online eLearning course in the U.K. and Ireland as in Germany. When applying a wider definition of eLearning, Germany is much more advanced and has a level of take-up similar to Denmark and the UK.
17. Why e-Learning? This article is based upon the assumption that eLearning offers practical and cost effective ways for K-12 schools, higher education institutions as well as academic institutes to manage the delivery of education over the web and manage managerial / administrative aspects of education at the same time. The graph shows the employment ratios of each type of eLearning within the 21 higher education institutions being surveyed.

You might not be surprised to learn that the majority of professors with the largest number of followers on Twitter are those professors who specialize in business and marketing (including public relations) and in journalism. But, a few other professors stood out for us as well, including some in the arts, the sciences, history and philosophy. The following 50 online university professors on Twitter worth following have a large number of followers for a reason — they are worth following!

Business and Marketing

1. @BarbaraNixon: Barbara B. Nixon publishes the blog, Public Relations Matters and teaches PR at Georgia Southern University.
2. @Bill_George: Bill George is a Harvard Business School professor, former Medtronic CEO, and bestselling leadership author.
3. @billhandy: Bill Handy is a public relations professor at Oklahoma State and a communication strategist specializing in emerging communication technologies.
4. @bostongarden: Bruce D. Weinberg is Inc Magazine’s Netty Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department at Bentley University.
5. @carol_phillips: Carol Phillips is a Notre Dame marketing professor, millennial marketing expert, market researcher and president of Brand Amplitude.
6. @dmhoro: Dr. Horo is a wine country marketing professor with too many blogs who “thinks he has a sense of humor.”
7. @drgilpin: Dawn Gilpin joined the Cronkite School faculty at Arizona State University after completing her Ph.D. in Mass Media & Communication at Temple University.
8. @ejyoung67: Dr. Elaine Young is the Assistant Dean for the Division of Business and associate professor of marketing at Champlain College.
9. @flahertb: Theresa B. Flaherty is a marketing professor interested in helping students, practitioners, and professors connect with one another.
10. @KarenRussell: Karen Russell is a PR professor at the University of Georgia and editor of the Journal of Public Relations Research.
11. @kmatthews: Kelli Matthews is a University of Oregon PR and multimedia instructor and consultant.
12. @MichaelEPorter: Michael E. Porter is the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor, Harvard Business School. He also is the director for the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.
13. @Nouriel: Nouriel Roubini is a professor at Stern School, NYU, Chairman of Roubini Global Economics and a Web entrepreneur.
14. @PRGUY2: James A. Sims II is a public relations professional and adjunct faculty member at Franklin University.
15. @RosabethKanter: Rosabeth Kanter is a Harvard Business School professor and author of SuperCorp, a look at how a new generation of values-driven businesses do well by doing good.
16. @WayneMarr: Wayne Marr is a professor of business; founder of SSRN with Michael Jensen, Harvard University and Eugene Fama, University of Chicago.

History, Philosophy and Politics

17. @cressman: Dale Cressman is a former television news producer, now an associate professor at Brigham Young University, where he teaches and researches new media and journalism and history.
18. @dancohen: Dan Cohen s the director for the Center for History and New Media and Associate Prof of History at Geroge Mason University.
19. @ethicsblogger: Chris MacDonald is a philosophy prof who blogs about business ethics, CSR and biotech. He was listed among 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics, 2008, 2009.
20. @harrislacewell: Harris-Lacewell is a Princeton professor, MSNBC contributor and columnist for The Nation. She is Associate Professor of politics and African American studies.
21. @history_geek: Holly Tucker teaches both French and the History of Medicine at Vanderbilt University.
22. @nfergus: Niall Ferguson is an historian, writer and broadcaster, teaches at Harvard and his latest book is High Financier.
23. @philosophyandre: Andrew N Carpenter is a philosophy professor, teacher, scholar, researcher, e-learning expert, voracious reader, kindle fanatic and “passionate coffee roaster.”

The Arts

24. @Chanders: Chanders is an assistant professor of media culture at CUNY.
25. @christinerose: Although Christine Rose teaches English at Austin Community College, she is a filmmaker, artist, author and “feral hippie” as well.
26. @crystallyn: Crystal King teaches Writing for Media Professionals at Boston University and also teaches classes in social media for artists at Mass College of Art.
27. @emdela: Elizabeth Deacruz is the art education and gender and women’s studies professor at the University of Illinois.
28. @frankolt: Frank Olt is professor of art at C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University, New York.
29. @henryjenkins: Henry Jenkins is the provost’s Professor of Communication, Journalism and Cinematic Arts at USC.
30. @loriglessner: Lorraine Glessner is into mixed media, fiber and encaustic and teaches at TylerSchool of Art in Pennsylvania.
31. @TwoCoats: Sharon Butler teaches graphic arts at Eastern Connecticut State University and runs Two Coats Web site.

The Sciences

32. @courosa: Alec Couros is the professor of educational technology & media at the Faculty of Education, University of Regina.
33. @drisis: Dr. Isis is a physiologist and blogger at ScienceBlogs.com. She writes about being a woman in “academia, science and shoes.”
34. @eric_mazur: Eric Mazur is a physicist, educator, author, lecturer, Harvard professor, founder SiOnyx, developer of Peer Instruction, gadget lover, early adopter of new technologies.
35. @HansRosling: Hans Rosling is a professor of global health and director of the Gapminder Foundation.
36. @MarcusduSautoy: Marcus du Sautoy is the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford.
37. @nntaleb: Nassim N. Taleb is the Distinguished Professor of Risk Engineering, NYU-Polytechnic Institute and Distinguished Research Scholar at Oxford University and author of The Black Swan.
38. @michiokaku: Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, professor, futurist, bestselling author and popularizer for science. He holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York, where he has taught for over 25 years.
39. @Sabba_Yossi: Dr. Josef Ashkenazi is a physics professor who also is interested in history and politics (especially of Israel) at the University of Miami.

Journalism

40. @Brizzyc: Carrie Brown-Smith is a University of Memphis journalism professor, Teen Appeal (city-wide high school newspaper) director, and conducts research on organizational change in newsrooms and social media.
41. @dankennedy_nu: Dan Kennedy teaches journalism at Northeastern University, blogs at Media Nation, and tries to “make sense of the new media world.”
42. @jayrosen_nyu: Jay Rosen teaches journalism at NYU, he directs the studio 20 program there and critiques the press and tries to “grok” new media. He uses Twitter for ‘mindcasting.’
43. @JimMacMillan: Jim MacMillan is a Pulitzer-winning visual journalist, social media daredevil, and trauma journalism fellow; now teaching convergence journalism at the University of Missouri.
44. @ljthornton: Journalism professor focused on evolving newsrooms and reports and practice and consequences of new media at the Cronkite School, Arizona State University.
45. @mattmansfield: Matt Mansfield is co-director of Medilll’s Washington program. He is particularly interested in how multimedia and “data-richstorytelling” can play a greater role in public policy reporting.
46. @NYT_JenPreston: Jennifer Preston is the social-media editor of The New York Times and adjunct for Columbia University New Media and author.
47. @PaulLev: Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University, New York City

Various

48. @BillCelis: William Celis is a USC professor, author, former New York Times and Wall Street Journal correspondent covering education and social justice issues.
49. @LawWriter: Jane Simon is the founder of LawWriter.com and a legal writing professor at Notre Dame.
50. @marclamonthill: Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is one of the leading hip-hop generation intellectuals in the country. In Fall 2009, he joined the faculty of Columbia University as Associate Professor of Education at Teachers College.

The open educational resource movement is growing rapidly. Open educational resources give many people who would not be able to study due to finances or location an opportunity to learn, for free. While the quality of open courseware materials varies, many of the largest schools are now offering free courses online.

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Diploma mills, or businesses that make a profit by posing as a legitimate college, university or school, have a history that reaches back into the 19th century. But, diploma mills — and news about them — has proliferated since the onset of the home computer. Read on to learn about the history of diploma mills as well as ten tips on how to avoid them.

• 1880: The “notorious” Dr. John Buchanan ended his medical diploma-mill career by jumping to his death from the Philadelphia and Camden ferry boat. This article, which ran in The New York Times, stated that the “bogus diploma business was thoroughly exposed” in 1872, just eight years after the Civil War ended.
• 1900: Government officers raided The Metropolitan Medical College, located in Chicago, and arrested its officials for mail fraud. The college sold degrees to practice medicine and law and the prices ranged from three to two-hundred dollars. Post Office Inspector Gould made the arrest and stated that this fraud case was the largest the postal authorities had dealt with to that date. Additionally, “graduates” of this school were known to be practicing law and medicine throughout the world, but were especially prevalent in Great Britain.
• 1971: Florida became known as the “diploma mill cesspool of the nation” after two area colleges were reviewed by the state Senate Committee on Commerce.
• 1998: If you think diploma mills exist only online, think again. In this case, a Brooklyn high school principal padded grades, instituted no-work classes and reversed failing Regents exams creating a virtual diploma mill.
• 2003: A doctor who graduated from a diploma mill managed to kill an eight-year-old girl by taking her off insulin. Laurence Perry served up to fifteen months in jail for manslaughter and for practicing medicine without a license. This article points out that the onset of the Internet allowed for a proliferation of bogus degrees. By this date, more than 400 diploma mills and 300 counterfeit diploma Web sites existed.
• 2004: USA Today broke a story that exposed twenty-eight senior-level government officials with fake degrees from diploma mills. In many cases, these degrees were paid for with government money. At least $170,000 in taxpayer money was used on tuition payments to two unaccredited schools. Additionally, employers began to investigate employee education records, and one investigation revealed that at least six instructors in Gwinnett County, Georgia had advanced degrees from a diploma mill.
• 2005: In an effort to fight diploma mills, the U.S. Department of Education launched a searchable online database that remains viable today. It includes the names, addresses and enrollment of all schools accredited by organizations recognized by the federal government (see tips below).
• 2006: This year, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and Division II Presidents Council enacted legislation that was designed to strengthen the way the association reviews the academic records of prospective student athletes.
• 2008: The Secret Service gets involved in a sting operation that nailed two individuals for mail and wire fraud, as they were sentenced for selling diplomas for a price. This article describes their business as growing “from a trickle to a flood” of inquiries for degrees between 1999 and 2005.

How to Recognize and Avoid Diploma Mills

The only way to recognize a bogus degree program is to do a little legwork yourself. The following list contains tips and information about known diploma mills as well as search engines that can help with your search and a few articles that may help you to recognize the diploma mill:

1. Search for Accredited Colleges and Degree-Granting Programs: In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education formed a search engine for citizens to learn more about the colleges they want to attend. Each of the postsecondary educational institutions and programs contained within the database is, or was, accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education” within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Examples of online institutions that are accredited, include Strayer University, Western Governors University, Grand Canyon University, Liberty University, Walden University, and more.
2. Search for Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies: This information will back up what you learn from colleges that claim accreditation. This list, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, provides the names of accrediting agencies that are both recognized and legal.
3. Learn About Unaccredited Colleges: This short list is provided by the State of Oregon, and covers colleges in California, Oregon, New Mexico and Utah.
4. Learn about Diploma Mills and Accreditation: The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) covers the gamut from federal recognition of college, accrediting organizations and a list [PDF] of known colleges that are not accredited by CHEA.
5. Learn about Fake Accrediting Agencies: Although this article dates back to 1999, many reputable agencies continue to point to it to show agencies that are not recognized under GAAP, or the Generally Accepted Accrediting Practices. Additionally, the accrediting agencies on this list are not recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation in Washington or the U.S. Department of Education, nor by UNESCO or by the education departments or ministries of major countries.
6. Get Information about Unaccredited Degree-Granting Institutions: This list provides a state-by-state resource to learn about unaccredited degree-granting institutions.
7. Learn What a Fake Degree Looks Like: This document [PDF], provided by the United States General Accounting Office, shows degrees ‘earned’ (rather, paid for) from diploma mills.
8. Learn the Tell-Tale Signs of a Bogus Degree: The Federal Trade Commission (FTA) offers a document that outlines the issues you need to look for when researching colleges. They also provide another document that outlines more issues.
9. Research Private Colleges: Because a college is private, that does not mean it is legitimate. use the National Association of State Administrators and Supervisors of Private Schools Web site (NASASPS) to research any private school.
10. Research Online Colleges: Online colleges may prove most problematic, as not all online degree-granting programs originate from a reputable source. Use search engines such as OEDb (Online Education Database) and eLearners to learn more about online college degree-granting programs that are accredited by reputable accrediting agencies.

If you want a reputable online education, then you need reputable sources to learn more about the programs you choose. The following list contains twenty-five helpful government resources to find legitimate online college programs. In some cases — as in accreditation — the resources include agencies that have been recognized by the U.S. government.

The list below is divided into categories that cover college search engines, accreditation and diploma mills and a final category that touches on helpful sites you may not have considered for online degree searches. Each link is listed in alphabetical order within those categories.

Searches

The search engines list in this category usually list online degree programs or colleges that offer distance learning.

1. College Finder: The Federal Student Aid program online provides a detailed search for colleges based upon location, setting, size, academics, cost, campus life and student body. Try their “Matching Wizard” to find schools that match your dreams, then check each ‘dream’ school against a search that provides information about accreditation, like the one at College Navigator below.
2. College Navigator: The U.S. Department of Education provides a search engine that breaks colleges out by level of award, institution type, state and more. Each search provides statistics about the school in question, including accreditation, varsity athletic teams and campus security issues.
3. Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, each of the postsecondary educational institutions and programs contained within the database is, or was, accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education.” When you use this database, you’ll need to confirm if the institution continues to remain accredited. You can use the College Navigator above, or another search engine that maintains current accreditation statuses.
4. Find the Right Colleges for You: The Federal Student Aic program provides several different options for college searches. Search results, for the most part, provide online admission application processes and links to campus tourst.
5. Search for Schools, Colleges, and Libraries: This search engine is geared toward finding public and private learning institutions by location. A wide variety of accredited institutions from the University of Phoenix to Boston University can be obtained in the search results. Search results show location, NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) district and school IDs and contact information.

Accreditation

Without accreditation, there would be no basic standard to judge a school’s legitimacy. This legitimacy is important, especially when determining the credibility of an online school or distance-learning degree program. The following information covers accreditation, including distance or online learning searches provided by the government or approved by the government.

6. Accrediting Agencies Recognized for their Preaccreditation Categories: While the regional sites are listed here, this page also lists a number of agencies approved by the U.S. government.
7. Accreditation in the United States: The U.S. Department of Education provides numerous links to information about accreditation and national and regional accreditation agencies.
8. Diploma Mills and Accreditation: This is another resource from the USDE, which provides information about diploma mills, fake accrediting agencies and links to lists of unaccredited schools.
9. Diploma Mills and Accreditation – Resources and Publications: The USDE provides more resources about diploma mills, accreditation and links for further reading on this page.
10. Directory of CHEA Recognized Organizations 2009-2010: Although not a government organization, the CHEA is recognized as a leading authority on accreditation. This list includes accrediting organizations identified as legitimate by the CHEA.
11. Specialized Accrediting Agencies: Sometimes a college is recognized by special accrediting agencies (such as an arts school, some nursing schools or a Christian school). The government has compiled information about these accrediting agencies on this page so you can learn more about those agencies.

The following information is about the regional accreditation agencies. The U.S. is divided into six geographic regions, and each agency below represents one of those six regions. These links are not provided by government resources, but by government-recognized accrediting agencies:

12. The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools: Responsible for accreditation of colleges in the middle states region (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico).
13. The New England Association of Schools & Colleges: Covering college accreditation in the New England region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont).
14. The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools: Handles college accreditation in the north central region (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming).
15. The Northwest Association Of Schools And Colleges: Handles accreditation of colleges in the north west region (Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.)
16. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: College accreditation for colleges located in the southern region (Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Virginia)
17. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges: This agency covers accreditation of colleges in the western region.

The two links listed here, like the list above, are private organizations rather than government entities. But, they are recognized by the government for their legitimacy.

18. Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools: ACICS was founded in 1912, and is one of the most respected and longest established national accreditor for academic institutions in the United States. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACICS currently accredits more than 680 institutions throughout the United States and more than a dozen foreign countries enrolling approximately 650,000 students, mostly in distance education issues.
19. Distance Education and Training Council: The DETC is a non-profit [501 c 6] educational association located in Washington, D.C. and that was founded in 1926 to promote sound educational standards and ethical business practices within the correspondence field. It gained the approval of the USDE as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and it also is recognized by the CHEA. DETC defines, maintains, and promotes educational excellence in distance education institutions.

Other Government Sites

20. College.gov: Learn more about why you might want to attend college, how to find a school and how to fund your online or distance-learning education through this government portal.
21. Healthfinder Accreditation: While this list cannot provide you with college information, it can provide you with a list of organizations that you might want to associate yourself with during college if you choose a healthcare profession. Many of these organizations provide scholarships, grants and fellowships for students who become members.
22. Star Schools Program: This page at the USDE offers information about distance-learning programs that have encouraged improved instruction in mathematics, science, foreign languages, and other subjects and that reach out to underserved populations. Look through this site to learn more about the winners, including contact information.
23. Star Schools Program Sites: This page compliments the previous link, adding more information about various distance-learning programs that have been recognized by the government for their achievements.
24. State Higher Education Agency: This list provides links to education programs, colleges and universities, financial aid assistance programs, grants, scholarships, continuing education programs, and career opportunities in each U.S. state through a state governmental education site. The site includes most online or distance learning programs.
25. Students.gov: This site provides college directories, military information, tools to help plan your education and more. The searches include national, regional and local sources for anyone who wants to attend school in the U.S. and earn a degree through various circumstances.

Say that you spend four years in college, then discover that your degree is — basically — worthless. This situation could happen if you attend a college that is not accredited, or a college that is accredited by an unrecognized accrediting agency. You may discover have wasted time and money on a degree that will not allow you to obtain a higher degree, or that may prohibit you from obtaining a high-paying job. How do you know when a college is accredited, and what is that accreditation worth?

Accreditation ensures a level of quality within an educational institution. Accreditation also means that your degree is recognized for its value. The problem is that any school might claim that it is accredited, because the use of that word is not regulated. Additionally, a school may claim and hold accreditation, but that accreditation may not be recognized.

This value placed on education through accreditation is an American concept, as other colleges throughout the world often are operated by governments. Colleges and universities in the U.S. are privately owned, therefore a desire for accreditation is important to show potential students that this college or that college offers the best in education. This becomes even more important when you consider less-well-known universities. For example, everyone should know that an institution like Northwestern is accredited. However, a less-known college like Western International University must place more emphasis on their accreditation. It is important to realize that accreditation is entirely voluntary, and that accrediting agencies — like colleges — are run by private, nongovernmental agencies.

The lack of control over accreditation, then, makes this process very risky for the student. For instance, there are no significant national standards for accreditation. What is considered credible in the south may not be credible in the north, and what is credible in one state may not pass muster in another state. Additionally, since accreditation is a voluntary effort for the college, some great schools may need to bypass accreditation because it is an expensive process. Or, they may have applied for accreditation, but may not receive approval until well past your graduation date.

Accreditation may take from six to ten years to complete, as some accrediting agencies want to watch the college’s progress to make sure that the college maintains certain educational standards. The college, once accredited, must maintain its standards or increase the value of education over time. The reason behind this effort is that, once a school is accredited, teams of inspectors visit that school at infrequent intervals to see if that school is keeping up with that agency’s standards.

You might understand why schools would claim accreditation when none is offered, or why they might use an accrediting agency that hands out accreditation like candy. An accredited school usually entices more students than a school that is not accredited, since accreditation means that a degree is worth the time and effort a student puts into it. A school that is not accredited, or one that is accredited by an unrecognized agency, is often suspected as a diploma or degree mill. While you might want this latter type of degree, it won’t get you very far if you want to pursue a higher degree or if you want to obtain a competitive job position.

Since this accreditation situation can prove to be a nightmare, how can you learn if the college of your choice is accredited? And, how can you know if the accrediting agency is worth its salt?

The following resources can help you learn more about the accreditation process as well as provide you with resources to learn more about the schools of your choice. With the use of these resources, you can learn whether or not your choice of college is telling the truth about their educational standards.

• A concise history of accreditation: This article contains a very condensed but understandable history on accreditation in the U.S. You might learn, from this article, why accreditation can be so confusing.
• Accreditation in the United States: The U.S. Department of Education provides an overview of accreditation in this country. This table of contents also provides links to resources such as nationally-recognized accrediting agencies.
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation: The CHEA is about as close as you’ll come to a reliable source of information about colleges and accrediting agencies. They list both reputable agencies and colleges that are accredited by those agencies and supply plenty of other information about accreditation as well.
• Diploma Mills and Accreditation: Resources and Publications: The U.S. Department of Education provides resources on accrediting and licensing, with information on how to avoid diploma mills.
• U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education: Use this database to learn if a college is accredited and recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

The following information is about the regional accreditation agencies. The U.S. is divided into six geographic regions, and each agency below represents one of those six regions:

• The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools: Responsbile for accreditation of colleges in the middle states region (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico).
• The New England Association of Schools & Colleges: Covering college accreditation in the New England region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont).
• The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools: Handles college accreditation in the north central region (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming).
• The Northwest Association Of Schools And Colleges: Handles accreditation of colleges in the north west region (Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.)
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: College accreditation for schools located in the southern region (Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Virginia)
• The Western Association of Schools and Colleges: This agency covers accreditation of colleges in the western region.

While regional accreditation usually is acceptable, you may decide to attend a local college that cannot nor will not find the funds for the cost of a regional accreditation. In some cases, you may find a college that is accredited by an agency that covers junior colleges, private colleges (such as a Christian college), institutional or specialized schools.

If you are unfamiliar with the accrediting agency, however, and it is not listed as one of the regional organizations shown above, or if it is not included in any governmental list — such as the one listed at the U.S. Department of Education for Specialized Accrediting Agencies — then, be wary.

You also can check with the school you might want to attend in the future to learn about the students they accept. You might be surprised at where the students come from — not all MS and PhD degrees come from Ivy-league schools, nor do they garner all the high-paying jobs. Most colleges are happy to share the names of the colleges where students come from, and these lists might help you choose a smaller college to begin you college career.

But, what about online degrees? The recognized accrediting agency for online and distance learning is the DETC, or the Distance Education and Training Council. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools (ACICS) provides another resource for online degree information. Additionally, any one of the regional accrediting agencies may apply their nod of approval for an online degree, depending upon the source. Other resources include:

• eLearners: This site offers a way to find online degrees, colleges and on-campus degree programs.
• Online Education Database (OEDb): This site provides information about online degrees and accreditation. They supply information only about accredited colleges.

No matter where you look to learn more about your chosen college and its accreditation, be sure to check often to learn more about whether that school’s status or the accrediting agency’s status has changed. Your work on the front end will pay off in the long run, when you earn a degree from a college that prides itself on the quality of its education.

Ironically, while the economy is in the tank, statistics reveal that the percentage of college freshmen who plan to major in business is at its lowest level since the mid-1970s. According to the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at the University of California at Los Angeles, the number of freshmen who plan to major in business fell from 16.8 percent in 2008 to 14.4 percent in 2009, the lowest percentage since 1974, when 14 percent of college freshmen focused on business majors. Why are students dropping business majors?

College choice in general, according to the HERI survey, continues to be influenced by the economy. Last year saw all-time highs in the importance of cost and financial aid, and those trends continue this year, breaking all such records. According to the survey:

• 41.6 percent: The cost of attending a particular college was a very important factor in determining where to attend. This is the highest percentage for this question since it was added to the survey.
• 44.7 percent: An offer of financial aid was a very important determining factor for these students, up from 43 percent in 2008 and 39.4 percent in 2007.
• 8.9 percent: Not being offered aid by the first choice of college was a “very important” reason for choosing a current college, the highest this figure has been since the question was first asked in 1984.
• 56.5 percent: The number of incoming freshmen who chose a college based upon the possibility of getting a good job upon graduation increased in importance. This is the highest level seen since this question was first asked in 1983.

Additionally, the rising amount of debt burden for college students and their parents and the diminishing job outlook for recent graduates are pushing students to look at degrees other than business. Accordingly, colleges that offer business degrees may look to the ability to offer more financial incentives for enrollment. These same business colleges and degree programs may begin to look at retention rates and degree attainments, based upon the numbers of incoming freshmen who may change their majors based upon these figures, and offer financial rewards and incentives to retain numbers.

The economic downturn has created an impact on characteristics, attitudes and beliefs of incoming first-time students at four-year institutions as well. These factors include:

• Concern more about finances: Incoming first-year freshmen this year likely will graduate with higher debts, producing the desire to find a high-paying major such as engineering.
• Ability to obtain loans and grants: This concern may lead more freshmen to think about high-paying careers that do not require college degrees, such as a court reporter, network administrator, police force, and clinical lab technicians.
• Raising a family is an important goal: Although being well-off financially is the most important goal (78.1 percent compared to 73.6 percent in 2004), raising a family comes next in desires for incoming freshmen (74.7 percent compared to 75.1 percent in 2004). After the current volatile atmosphere surrounding business news (ie: Bernie Madoff, bank issues, etc.), incoming freshmen may see business as a sour investment in future goals.
• Family resources are important: The largest percentages of incoming freshmen are from families that bring in $60,000 to $149,000 annually. The breakdown is 10.8 percent ($60,000 to $74,999); 14 percent ($75,000 to $99,999); 17.6 percent — the highest percentage on the list ($100,000 to $149,999). These statistics show that teens from wealthier families still retain the highest ability to attend college. Teens from lower-income families may choose a vocational major rather than a business major, as the former degrees may be less expensive to obtain.

Despite the figures shown above, the percentages show that 14.4 percent of incoming freshmen still look to obtaining a professional degree, and the same percentage still desire a business degree:

1. Arts and Humanities: 13.3 percent
2. Social Sciences: 11.7 percent
3. Biological Sciences: 9.7 percent
4. Engineering: 9.7 percent
5. Education: 8.1 percent
6. Physical Sciences: 3.4 percent
7. Technical Fields: 1.1 percent
8. Other Fields: 7.5 percent
9. Undecided: 6.8 percent

Possibilities exist for business colleges and colleges that carry business courses to look at those percentages and determine how they might lure students into more business majors. But, that development might also depend upon seeking students from other sources, such as the military and ethnic minorities. Also, colleges may look at the ability of a student to carry a business course load. It should be noted, however, that colleges with well-regarded and highly competitive business offerings, such as the University of Southern California or NYU, aren’t experiencing significant declines in student enrollment.

There is a renewed influx of veterans into colleges, and the survey introduced a new item on veteran status. of the 297 schools surveyed in the report, 202 has at least one first-year student who was a military veteran and a total of 595 first-year students who reported veteran status. But, there is a factor involved in choosing veterans, as the survey reported that the veterans who participated received significantly lower grades in high school than non-veteran students entering the same colleges. According to the report:

For example, while 11.5 percent of veterans reported receiving A or A+ grades in high school, non-veteran students were more than twice as likely (23.1 percent) to report such grades. While only 4.6 percent of non-veterans reported a C+ average or lower, 19.8 percent of veterans did so. Veterans were also more likely than non-veterans to report a need for special tutoring or remedial work in mathematics (35.8 percent vs. 24.3 percent) and writing (20.7 percent vs. 11.6 percent).

In particular, veterans were more likely to rate themselves higher in leadership ability than other freshmen entering the same colleges. This concept of leadership abilities may prove the key in luring veterans into business degrees. But, some students may not feel that leadership potential nor have the ability to train for college courses.

The lure to attend a business college may also depend AP classes and exams as well as grades. While the percentage of students taking at least one AP exam has increased by nearly ten percentage points over the last five years (from 50.9 percent to 60.3 percent), the differences between racial and ethnic groups in AP experiences continues to exist. Opportunities in high school often determine whether or not students can gain access to AP courses.

Only 5.4 percent of entering students at four-year institutions reported attending a high school where no AP courses were offered, and those percentages ranked as follows:

1. American Indian students (9.1 percent)
2. African American students (6.8 percent)
3. Asian American students (5.8 percent)
4. White students (5.3 percent)
5. Hispanic students (3.6 percent)

Among those who reported having taken between one and four AP classes in high school, Hispanic students, at 54.3 percent, compared very favorably with other groups, including:

1. White students (49.9 percent)
2. Multiracial students (50.0 percent)
3. African American students (45.3 percent)
4. American Indian students (a low of 39.1 percent)

Asian American students, however, were more than twice as likely to take between five and nine AP courses (33.8 percent) as white students (15.4 percent). The pattern was similar for students taking AP exams.

Finally, considering just the 2009 data, gaps remain between the percentage of those who receive remedial work in high school and those who need remedial work in college. There has been an increase in the percentage of students who feel they will need special tutoring or remedial work. In fact, remedial work in high school by these students is at the highest levels ever reported in the survey (with the exception social studies, which reached a high in 1980): English (7.2 percent), reading (6.5 percent), mathematics (14.5 percent), social studies (4.5 percent), science (6.1 percent), foreign language (5.9 percent) and writing (5.8 percent).

These gaps alone present an issue for anyone who wants a career, no matter if it is in business, engineering, technology or working in a fast food restaurant.

The 2009 freshman norms in the HERI survey are based on the responses of 219,864 first-time, full-time, first-year students at 297 of the nation’s baccalaureate colleges and universities. The data have been statistically adjusted to reflect the responses of the 1.4 million first-time, full-time students entering four-year colleges and universities as first-year students in 2009.

One reason why many individuals join the military is for educational benefits. All branches of the military do not hesitate to mention education as a benefit, as this is part and parcel of recruitment and retention. Military training is just one facet in this story, however, as active military personnel, veterans and their families also have opportunities to extend their learning to college courses. Online universities and colleges in particular are reaching out to the military to offer opportunities to learn while ‘on the job’ so veterans will have a better opportunity for higher-paying jobs upon retirement.

The G.I. Bill, which was first enacted in 1944, provided college or vocation education for returning World War II veterans, or G.I.s, as well as one year of unemployment compensation. This bill enabled many returning servicemen to become competitive in the job market after serving military duty and continues today under slightly different conditions. Additionally, the Department of Defense monitors and has subsidized college tuition for active-duty service members since 1947.

Sometimes military offices do not move as fast as for-profit online universities and colleges, however. The latter institutions are competitive in enrollment, and the numbers of military personnel who have enrolled in online courses over the past few years has increased dramatically. While enrollment is increasing, concerns over the viability of online degrees has become an issue.

Online colleges and universities offer degrees to students who need flexible hours, and the online format suits military students who move frequently. Some online colleges, such as Kaplan University and Capella University, allow transfer credits from other colleges, and enrollment can occur at any time. Plus, many online universities offer perks to military students, such as free laptops and textbooks.

At the moment, the downside to online education falls in the laps of active military personnel and veterans who want to pursue an online degree. Prospective students must take on the responsibility to learn more about the online college to discover whether that school is accredited, whether credits are transferable to other reputable colleges and if the college degree is respected in the business community.

On the upside, many online universities have gained footholds in business communities, as their degrees have become more well-respected. Don’t forget conventional universities and colleges, as they now offer many online degree programs and individual courses. These colleges often are more well-respected in the business community. Additionally, the Defense Department plans to subject online programs to review by the American Council on Education within the next year (see links below). This scrutiny will allow recruits and veterans to pick and choose among for-profit online educational degrees with confidence.

In the meantime, we offer a number of resources that can enable anyone to learn more about online universities and the military, both active personnel and veterans:

The GI Bill:

In August 2009, recipients were eligible for greatly expanded benefits, or the full cost of any public college in their state. The new bill also provides a housing allowance and $1,000 a year stipend for books, among other benefits. But, there are difficulties with this new bill. The following sites may help clarify any issues you may have with this program:

• VA GI Bill Information: This is the official Department of Veterans Affairs Web site on the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. The site lists benefit programs, tools and information as well as relevant news.
• NewGIBill.org: This entire site is dedicated to explanations about the Post-9/11 GI Bill, including news and benefit information.
• New GI Bill Overview: This page on Military.com defines the details benefits of the new GI Bill.

Other VA Education Monies

• Benefit Comparison Chart: Learn about the differences among the Post-9/11 GI Bill (defined above), the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty), the Montgomery GI Bill (Reserves) and REAP, all defined below…
• Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty: The MGIB program provides up to 36 months of education benefits. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from active duty. This program is also commonly known as Chapter 30.
• Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve: The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses.
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program: REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a new Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress.
• Veterans Educational Assistance Program: VEAP is available if you first entered active duty between January 1, 1977 and June 30, 1985 and you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. Your contributions are matched on a $2 for $1 basis by the Government. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses.

Other VA Education Benefits

• Educational and Vocational Counseling Services: Free educational and vocational counseling (Chapter 36) services are provided by the VA to transitioning service members. Visit this link to learn more.
• Student Work-Study Allowance Program: If you’re a full-time or 3/4-time student in a college degree program, or a vocational or professional program, you can “earn while you learn” with a VA work-study allowance.
• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program: The DEA provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training.

Online College Accreditation

• Database of Accredited Post-secondary Institutions and Programs: Use this search engine to discover information about a college or university accreditation. Each of the post-secondary educational institutions and programs contained within the database is, or was, accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of post-secondary education” within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
• ED.gov: This government site provides lists of regional and national accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education or training offered by the institutions of higher education or higher education programs they accredit.

Online Education Searches

• eLearners: This site breaks online education down into degrees, programs, courses and colleges. They offer information only on accredited resources.
• Online Education Database: OEDb is the original source of online accredited programs. Unlike many other online education directories, their database only lists accredited online colleges so you can be sure that these degrees will be respected by potential employers. Use their rankings to find the best online program for you.

Other Sites of Interest

• American Council on Education: The American Council on Education (ACE) is the only higher education organization that represents presidents and chancellors of all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions. Their mission is to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.
• The Department of Defense Education Activity: DoDEA is a field activity of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. It is headed by a director who oversees all agency functions from DoDEA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. This site is concerned with DoDEA activities, news and data.
• Training, Education, and Career Transitions for Active Duty Military Personnel: USA.gov offers a page filled with links for career transition, training and education for active and veteran service members and their families.
• Tutor.com Military: Marine Corps and Army families have had access to this program for more than a year. Seeing the value, Defense Department officials decided to expand the this free, online tutoring service for all service members and their families.

If you think your choice of an online education eliminates you from scholarships, think again. Many scholarships are geared toward students’ religious preferences, disabilities, ethnic backgrounds and other criteria. This type of scholarship, offered by private and public sector and not-for-profit organizations, usually does not focus on whether you’ve chosen an on-campus college or an online college. Additionally, many scholarships focus on high school test scores, grade point averages (GPA) and other eligibility requirements that have nothing to do with your college choice. Additionally, online colleges can often prove to be just as expensive as traditional universities, especially schools like George Washington University, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt University.

Therefore, almost any scholarship offered by a school or other resource usually is as valuable in an online environment as it is in the on-campus venue; however, some scholarships may ask for your college choice and may eliminate you if your choice is not accredited. Find out if your college is accredited and whether it offers and accepts scholarships first. Then, go through the list below to find even more resources for your online college education. The twenty-five excellent college scholarship search engines shown below are listed in alphabetical order to show that we do not value one resource over another.

1. Adventures in Education: Use this quick search engine to learn about 15,000 scholarships available to a wide variety of students and college needs.
2. Broke Scholar: You don’t need to be broke to find scholarships at this search engine, home to over 850,000 scholarship award listings. Fill out a profile that provides information about you and your goals, and you can define your search to fit your specific needs.
3. Careers and Colleges: You can register for free to search through over seven billion dollars in college scholarships and grants at this online search engine. Careers and Colleges also offers a $2,000 monthly scholarship giveaway.
4. CareerOneStop: This career site provides a search engine that links to more than 5,000 scholarships, fellowships, loans and other financial aid opportunities. The search is divided by award type, residence preference, study level and affiliation restrictions.
5. College Board: Find scholarships, internships, grants and loans that match your education level, talents and background. This database contains over 2,300 sources for college funding.
6. College Data: Find scholarships that match the eligibility criteria you enter for your grade point average (GPA), gender, residency, ethnicity/heritage, religion and area of study.
7. CollegeFunds.net: Sign up to receive information about student loans, scholarships and other financial aid resources.
8. CollegeToolkit: Enter to win one of this site’s $1,000 scholarships and search through their resources to find more scholarship opportunities.
9. EdFed 2010: America’s top student loan provider also provides a search engine to find scholarships for your online or on-campus education.
10. Education Planner: Search through scholarships available to graduate and undergraduate students at this site, powered by Peterson’s.
11. FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid maintains a search engine to find scholarships. Filling out this application for aid also can help you define your answers to many scholarship questions and may provide you with many government resources for student financial aid. You must register to use this resource.
12. FastWeb: This popular college funding resource provides information on 1.3 million scholarships worth over three billion dollars. FastWeb has been assisting students and parents for nearly fifteen years.
13. FindTuition: Register to gain access to over 1.7 million scholarships with a free scholarship search tool that allows users to search, research, target, and manage scholarship opportunities via specific college, athletic, and major targeted searches.
14. Fresch! This free scholarship search engine allows users to fill out a profile and create a custom search for scholarships.
15. Mach25: Enter a series of keywords to find all scholarships that contain those same words in the name or description. You also can fill out a personal profile to find matches for your educational needs.
16. NextStudent: This resource includes consolidated, private student, PLUS, private consolidation and Federal Stafford loans and also runs Scholarships 101, a database filled with over 5.9 million scholarships and grants from over 69,000 sources.
17. Sallie Mae: This search engine provides access to a scholarship database that contains more than three million scholarships for all types of students. You must register to gain access to this information. Sallie Mae also provides college loans.
18. Scholarship Experts: Register to receive information about the scholarships that might work for you as an online college student. Scholarship Experts has been helping parents and students find scholarships and free money since 2001.
19. Scholarship Monkey 2.0: Scholarship Monkey is a free service for students and parents wishing to obtain scholarship information for any academic pursuits. Register, fill out a profile, and gain access to over one million scholarships from over 4,000 sources.
20. Scholarships.com: Fill out a profile to find a scholarship that might fit you and your educational goals and create an application file that contains commonly requested information, save it to your computer and use it to complete future scholarship searches and applications at any Scholarship Data Standard site.
21. ScholarSite: This site is filled with detailed and up-to-date information on approximately 600,000 financial aid opportunities, with the ability to find scholarships by institution, academic discipline and more.
22. School Soup: This search engine will find scholarships that match your interests and profile by searching through $32 Billion worth of scholarships. Scholarships with the best matches are listed first.
23. Student Awards: This site contains a comprehensive database of awards offered by public and private sector and not-for-profit organizations. You also can find awards that are only available to studentawards.com members.
24. StudentScholarshipSearch: Register to search through free scholarship updates across a wide variety of requirements. The site not only focuses on national scholarships, but also includes scholarships by state and level of education. You might also visit the companion site, ScholarshipPoints to earn points for free scholarships worth up to ten thousand dollars.
25. SuperCollege: Register to search through over two million college scholarships, grants, fellowships and contests that can help you pay for your online college education.

If you are interested in OpenCourseWare (OCW), then you probably are aware that Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has and probably will continue to make the largest contribution to this online educational effort to date. But, in light of the recent financial meltdown, MIT plans to make cuts to its OCW budget. If MIT is making cuts, then what are other, smaller institutions doing about their contributions to OCW?

OCW is, basically, intellectual philanthropy. A number of universities and colleges now offer courses online and free of charge to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. But, OCW is more than posting online courses, quizzes and videos for learning. It takes a dedicated staff to deal with publishing an OCW site and to keep it updated. In MIT’s case, the sum amounts to $4 million per year, although portions of this amount are covered by grants provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Andrew Mellon Foundation and through donations, revenue and other sources.

Major funding, however, runs out in 2012. While some arguments go against continuation of the OCW, others argue that the OCW provides equal rights opportunities for individuals who cannot afford to attend college. Free higher education is a necessity, but it appears that the issue of which college can afford to participate in OCW has become the underlying problem.

According to a recent article in the MIT Faculty Newsletter, more than 250 universities have committed to openly publishing course content in the OCW model. Currently, there are more than 100 live sites and materials from over 9,000 courses available. But, since MIT receives such a large percentage of OCW traffic and media attention, the problems that MIT is encountering now may become potential issues for all involved in the OCW program.

One option to financing free online courses is to provide revenue models for OCW projects, and Brigham Young University (BYU) already has tested that model with a profitable “Click to Enroll” option for viewers. This model shows that free online courses can become part of a marketing plan for colleges, and it is working for BYU. But, some other colleges are seeing that the OCW model might fit what they already offer — colleges that offer online degrees and online classes are climbing on the OCW bandwagon.

Online universities actually may serve the OCW audience better, since their staff and faculty already is adept at modeling online courses. Additionally, the online university infrastructure is well-suited to adding courses aligned with the OCW model. These courses, which offer a syllabus, reading materials, quizzes, video and audio lectures as well as written materials, are recognizable by anyone who has taken a course or earned a degree at an online university.

While on-campus colleges have leapt at the chance to offer OCW courses as a matter of ethics or as a way to market their courses, few online universities have made that leap; however, the colleges listed below have come on board this past year, and a few of these schools have embraced the OCW format as well as become members of the OCW consortium.

1. Kaplan University: This online university is well known for it s test preparation, higher education and professional training courses. Now, Kaplan has made a splash in free online education during 2009 with their OCW site. Kaplan’s OCW courses are offered in seven different departments, ranging from arts and sciences to criminal justice and from general education to nursing. Each department contains from one to three online courses, with a link that leads users to Kaplan’s accredited courses offered through their online university. Their OCW courses are free of charge. Going the full route, Kaplan also has become a member of the OCW Consortium.
2. Open University: This UK college provides an online opportunity to earn a degree through their online distance learning courses and through day and evening on-campus degrees. They serve about 150,000 undergraduate and more than 30,000 postgraduate students. But, they also have become one of the major online sources for free educational modules at the LearningSpace Web site. This site, although not modeled after the OCW format, provides free access to Open University course materials to anyone who has a computer and Internet access.
3. Walden University: Walden University was founded in 1970 by two teachers seeking a better way for adults to pursue advanced degrees without leaving the workforce. This school has grown to become a major player in online education and degrees. While this college has yet to provide free full courses online, they now offer free forums, lectures and long-running videos on topics that range from technology in the classroom to information on how to tackle different components in their online nursing and psychology programs.
4. Western Governors University: Western Governors University offers convenient and flexible online education and offers nationally and regionally accredited bachelor’s and master’s degrees. This college was an early member of the OCW consortium, offering courses in two departments — information technology and liberal arts. While they have not added more departments to their free courses, they have added courses within those departments over the past year.

If funding for major on-campus universities ceases in two years, those universities may need to make concessions to keep their OCW materials and programs running — concessions such as using those free courses as marketing lures to bring potential paying students on board. Online universities, however, already have the functionality to streamline their free offerings and may not feel that financial bite. To use these materials as a means of outreach to potential paying students seems both justified and promising for online universities. The online college listed above are embracing the open courseware philosophy; hopefully, others will follow suit to help spread free online education to anyone who can gain access to the materials.