Bachelors Degree-Colleges Proving More College Loans For Women

Women comprise a good portion of online college students and forecasts suggest that by the years 2013 and 2016, they’ll account for 57 percent of the undergraduate population at colleges and universities.  They will also make up a solid segment of the labor force growth, many finding careers that have started thanks to university distance learning degree programs they’ve completed.

Online college classes and degree programs offer more flexible schedules and alleviate childcare worries, they said, and “attending” online college allows them to “fit education into their work and family schedules, rather than trying to fit their lives into the schedules of traditional education”, according to an American Association of University Women study. Working women who qualify for scholarships, fellowships and grants for college can also find the opportunity more easily attainable.

While many women interviewed for the 2001 “The Third Shift, Women Learning Online” study were working toward online degrees, others were taking online college classes because they enjoy the experience of learning.  One woman with a family and full-time job described online college a “dream come true.” Online college costs were discussed throughout the interviews.

Study respondents viewed minimized commuting time travel costs as positives. College classes and online degree programs, they noted, provide tremendous opportunities for women who have children, demanding work responsibilities, disabilities or tight schedules, and those who live in relatively secluded areas. Women try to devote time to coursework when other family members are sleeping, or they hold off on taking courses until their children are older and more independent, according to “The Third Shift”.

Online college classes and degree programs often cost about the same as traditional, campus-based offerings. Many online colleges and traditional institutions with online classes and degree programs are accredited, and the federal government offers low-interest loans and grants for college that are based on financial need. Civic organizations, labor unions, veterans organizations, large companies and non-profit organizations also offer assistance – in their case, with scholarships, fellowships and grants for college. Working women can explore offerings from companies such as Coca Cola and non-profits such as the Ford Foundation.

The American Association of University Women offers career development grants for college that are designed for bachelor degree-holding women to further their careers, and fellowships that help pay for conducting domestic and international research. The offerings are a part of plans to provide more than $3 million for more than 200 fellowships and grants for college during the 2009-2010 academic, according to the association Web site. Working women don’t have to worry about financial aid if their employer benefits include reimbursed tuition. One of the reasons distance education has grown is because of a growing number of working women, “The Third Shift” study reports.

U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that of 121 million women ages 16 and older, in the 2008 year, 68 million were employed.  Between 2006 and 2016, the Department of Labor predicts women will account for nearly half of the labor force increase. Already, the average online college student is female, age 34 and employed part-time with college credits earned at some point in life, according to a 2001 U.S. Senate document cited in the American Association of University Women study.  The number of female undergraduates, by the year 2013, is expected to reach 8.9 million, or 57 percent of the undergraduate population.

Obtaining a university online bachelor, many women in “The Third Shift” study said, provides a no-frills, direct route to an educational goal, such as their associate degrees.  As well, this type of online masters degree programs provided an opportunity to move forward in the working arena so they don’t have to keep struggling.