Questions to Ask Before You Enroll

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.

1. What is the maximum number of transfer credits you might accept toward the degree requirements of my program?
2. Might you accept credits from my previous college (XYZ University)?
3. If so, can transfer credits count toward my major, or only toward general education/elective requirements?
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: Colleges have very different policies when it comes to transfer credit and credit for prior learning. If you expect to apply any former studies toward a new degree, be 100 percent clear on how the process works at any colleges you are now considering.

1. What kind of financial aid assistance do you offer to qualified students? Are you eligible to administer federal aid or state aid? Do you offer any institutional scholarships or grants?
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: Regardless of the college you choose, you will need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1. By submitting the FAFSA your eligibility for federal aid will be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education. You can complete the FAFSA even if you haven't decided on a school or a degree program yet.

1. How much is tuition? If the figure is given in a "cost per credit" format, how many credits are required in order to graduate?
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?

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.

1. What are my instructors' academic or professional credentials?
2. What's the average class size?
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? One business day?
8. What methods of contact can I use to get in touch with my professor? E-mail, fax, phone, instant messenger, etc.?

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?