Questions to Ask Before You Enroll

Going back to school is a huge investment of time and money. It is not a decision to be made lightly, so be ready to ask a lot of questions of any college or university you are considering. Unfortunately, we can't pick a school for you, but we can help you figure out what questions to ask.

Listed below are the important, must-ask questions that you need to ask of each school that you are considering. Add these questions to the ones you already have in your mind, and be prepared to take notes as you get your answers while talking to an enrollment advisor or browsing though any print material.

Remember:

Be wary of any school that is unable to or refuses to answer any of your questions. An online degree is a long-term commitment and choosing a college or university that understands and can meet your needs should be one of your top priorities.

Also, there is no such thing as the "perfect" college or university. Stay open minded and realize that any number of schools may be a good fit for you and provide you with the degree and student services that you need.

1 Accreditation
1. What type of institutional accreditation do you hold?
2. When was accreditation granted and when are you up for review again?
3. Are there any departments, programs, or schools within the college or university that currently have or are seeking specialized accreditation?
TIP: The licensing boards that regulate certain professions, such as nursing or law, often require student to graduate from degree programs that hold specialized accreditation, such as the National League for Nursing for nursing or the American Bar Association for law, so it is important for you to know what is required to be a licensed practitioner in your field.

TIP: Steer clear of any unaccredited college or university! Do not waste your time, money, or effort on a diploma mill, either. It is actually a crime punishable by law in more than five states to list a bogus degree on your resume!
2 Credit-Earning Options
1. What is the maximum number of credits you will accept towards the degree requirements of my program?
2. If I have prior course work at other school, will you accept those credits?
3. If so, will it could as credit towards general education requirements, credit toward my major, or as an elective?
4. Do you grant credit for standardized subject examinations like CLEP or DANTES examinations?
5. Can I earn credit for prior learning gained through life or work experience by submitting a portfolio which demonstrates learning gained through the experience?
6. Are there any other ways that I may be able to earn credit?
TIP: The amount of credit granted for an exam will vary among schools.
3 Financial Aid
1. What kind of financial aid assistance do you offer, including federal, state, local, private and institutional financial aid programs?
2. What are the procedures and deadlines for submitting applications for each available financial aid program?
3. What are your criteria for selecting financial aid recipients?
4. What is the process for determining financial need?
5. What is the school's loan default rate (the percentage of students who attended the school, took out federal student loans and failed to repay their loans on time)?
6. Do you have a preferred list of lenders that you work with? If so, how were these lenders chosen?
TIP: Just because someone is a "preferred" lender doesn't necessarily mean they are looking out for your best interests.
4 Tuition and Fees
1. How much is tuition?
2. What, if anything, is included in my tuition? Books? Software?
3. Do you charge additional tuition or fees for out-of-state students?
4. Are there any additional fees like a technology fee or library fee that I need to know about?
5. What methods of payment do you accept for tuition?
6. Do you offer payment plans? How do they work?
7. What has been the average tuition increase in the past five years?
8. What tuition increases, if any, are planned in the next few years?
9. What happens if I enroll, but never start classes or if I begin attending classes, but leave before completing all my course work? Will I get my money back?
5 Student Services
1. What kind of academic services, such as academic advising, tutoring, or career services are available to me?
2. What percentage of graduates find jobs in their field of study?
3. May I contact some recent graduates or their employers to ask them about their learning experiences and their preparation for a career?
4. Do I have access to library and/or research services?
5. Will I be able to search online, full-text informational databases of magazines, journal, and newspaper articles from my home or work PC?
6. Can I receive reference assistance by phone, electronic forms, or email?
7. Will I have borrowing privileges at local libraries?
8. Do you offer interlibrary loan or distance learning document delivery services?
9. What kind of technical support can I expect as an online student?
10. How do I contact technical support and what hours are they available?
11. What kind of computer hardware and software will I need?
12. What are the technical specifications, including minimum hardware requirements, recommended connection speed, and browser compatibility?
13. How will I know I have the required technical abilities to be successful in distance learning?
TIP: Have your computer specs on hand to do a comparison. Try to exceed the recommended minimum computing requirements.
6 Faculty
1. What my instructors' academic or professional credentials?
2. What is his or her field of study/expertise?
3. Do instructors have experience teaching online?
4. Do instructors have experience as distance learners?
5. How are instructors prepared to teach online?
6. How many other classes does an instructor teach at any given time?
7. What kind of response time can I expect if I have a question or problem? 24 hours? 1 business day?
8. What methods of contact can I use to get in touch with my professor? E-mail, fax, phone, instant messenger, etc.?
7 Program of Interest
1. How long has this degree been offered online?
2. How long has this school offered online or distance education?
3. How other many students are currently enrolled in this program?
4. How many students have successfully completed the program and graduated?
5. What is the maximum number of students allowed in a course?
6. How often and by what means is the program reviewed for the quality and real-world applicability of its curriculum?
7. What is the average length of time it takes for a student to complete this program?
8. Approximately how much time, per week, will I need to devote to one class?
9. Do I ever have to campus or can all my courses be completed online?
10. How are tests administered? Do you use proctored exams, online exams, or projects and papers in lieu of exams?
11. Will my diploma or transcripts indicate that my degree was completed online?
12. Is there a physical commencement ceremony I can take part in when I graduate?