The Evils Of An Online Education

Like everyone else, I have always touted the joys of my online education. I first attended college online at Rio Salado College a few years back. It was great; I was hooked. Those were community college type prices. Now I am enjoying the online EUDCP program at Boston University because it's perfect for me. Good program, good school, only problem is this -- it's freakin' expensive.

Well, all schools are expensive. But here's what you need to know about the Boston University program. The evils come in as technicalities. It's an expensive program but don't even think for a minute you will qualify for funding as you would at a "normal" or "traditional" college. I get a federal Stafford Loan but it doesn't pay for everything I need for tuition. Here's the technicality: because the B.U. EUDCP (executive undergrad completion program) is considered part-time, I am automatically disqualified for aid like Pell grants or, subsequently, a Federal Perkins Loan.

Getting a Sallie Mae or other private loan is not a possibility for me. So I'm stuck. The only way for me to pay for B.U. is to get a 3rd job. All I can do is work my way through to pay the high tuition cost as I go.

Scholarships?

There aren't many for white 27-year-olds. The other problem with going to college online is I can't get any aid from the Arizona State Department of Education. I've lived here for seven years, but since I attend a school located in Boston, I can't get funding. The DOE only doles it out if you want to go to ASU, U of A, or NAU. Why go there when I got into Boston University?

So here I am. I got into B.U. I completed one semester with an A- and a B- for grades in my first two classes. I'm smart enough to get into B.U. and do well. Now if only I could be smart enough to figure out a slick way to fund my education.