1. Must be accredited. It is important that the online college that you choose be accredited because this is a way that you can ensure that the school meets established standards. This makes a difference if you want to transfer your credits or prove the worth of your degree to an employer. There are two types of accreditation: institutional and specialized. An institutional accreditation applies to the entire school and its programs, while a specialized accreditation generally applies to a specific degree program or school of study within the college or university. This is further broken down into national accreditation or regional accreditation. Regional accreditations are the most widely recognized.

2. Platform must be easy to use. The “platform” is where you will find your classes, chat rooms, even your virtual library. Every online college has a different online learning platform, and they all work a little differently. You should make sure that the school’s platform is intuitive and easy for you to use. Ask the admissions advisor if you can have a demonstration of their platform and if they offer online tutorials to students.

3. Must have tech support. Since all of your studies are done on your computer in an online environment, the chances that you will run into some sort of technical issue are pretty good. Make sure that the school you choose has 24/7 tech support. You can ask the admissions advisor how long the average wait time is to speak to tech support – chances are when you run into problems you won’t have that much time to figure them out.

4. Must provide student services. A good online college has student services to make sure that their students have the optimal chance at success. This includes offering tutoring services for a small fee or even for free.

5. Must accept CLEP credits. You may hear many online schools advertising credits for “life experience.” In general, the only legitimate way to offer this is through CLEP testing. These credits are accepted at many online colleges and traditional universities. They are a great way to test out of classes on subjects that you may already have mastered.

6. Must have small class sizes. A good online college will have a small number of students in each class. This is because online students need a lot of individual attention to ensure that they do not feel isolated. A smaller class size makes this more manageable for the instructor, which brings me to my next must have …

7. Instructors must be accessible. Make sure that the school that you choose requires instructors to allot a certain amount of time to give students the chance to speak with them on an individual basis.

8. Must have a variety of financial aid options. If you are in need of some type of help to pay for school, like most of us, make sure that the school you choose has plenty of financial aid options. These include federal grants, scholarships, and student loans. Ask the admission advisor specifically about this – for each school has different financial aid opportunities.  You can also see if you qualify directly at College Online Tuition.

All these discussion points will probably make for a long conversation, so make sure that you put aside some time to get to each of them. Don’t worry about asking the admissions advisors at your school choices too many questions – that is what they are there for! Also have a pen and paper ready (or your laptop) to write down notes, that way you can compare the different schools. Good luck with your decision!  For more information, please refer to College Students Online or Affordable Online College.

1. Flexibility: MBAs have among the most varied degree programs available. You can choose from accelerated programs without electives that will take you one year to finish, or a two year program or a three. Many schools offer weekend executive MBA programs for people who are working full time. And probably the most convenient – online MBA programs allow you to get your degree online. Some schools require that you go to class a couple of times a semester, but there are plenty of other schools whose programs are completely online. These programs cater to the busy individual allowing you to work on your degree on your own schedule.

1. Make More Money: There have been many studies done that show that people with higher education make more money. The U.S. Census Bureau published a report in April of 2009 that showed that people with Master’s degrees make an average of $80,977, compared to $57,181 for those with a Bachelor’s and $31,286 for those with just a high school diploma. As for specific salary statistics for MBA graduates, the Graduate Management Admissions Council released a report in 2006 that stated that starting annual salaries for MBA graduates averaged above $80,000, which is $10,000 more per year than other Master’s degree graduates.

1. Get That Promotion: Are you ready to take your career to the next level? An MBA is a favorite requirement for upper management positions. This degree is perfect for giving you the training that you need to be a great manager who can consider the big picture. And with all the specialization areas, you can focus on your particular industry, be it a health care or an IT degree. Also the convenience of weekend and online MBA programs allow you to keep your job and go to school. Tip: Don’t forget to ask your company if they offer tuition assistance. Many companies will pay for at least some of your school costs as long as it is related to your job.

1. Confidence: And last but certainly not least, an online MBA (or standard MBA) or any degree does wonders to boost your confidence level. This alone can give you the inner strength to land that dream job, ask for that raise, or finally get that promotion. Plus a university education is a great way to beat the burn-out blues or treat that office boredom.