by Bruce Friend
A key factor that influences many families’ decision about enrolling their students into online courses is cost. Whether you are looking for a full-time online solution or seeking to enroll in a single course, the cost of the course is certainly a consideration when selecting an online program.
There are several factors that will influence what you will pay for an online course. As a general rule of thumb, there is usual a direct correlation between the fee to take an online course and the level of teacher interaction that the student will receive. Stated another way, online courses that include a highly-qualified, well trained online teacher to work with your student will cost more than online courses that are entirely computer-aided in their delivery model and/or provide limited interaction with a teacher.
So how much will you pay? The answer to that question really depends on which model of online course delivery you wish to participate in. If enrolling in a single online course with an online teacher providing the instruction, you can expect the course fee to range from $250-$400 per course per semester. Keep in mind however that depending on your local district or state policies, you may actually have access to accredited online programs at no cost. Approximately 30 states have publically funded state-led virtual schools that provide online courses at no cost to the student. Some states also operate virtual charter schools that enroll students at no cost to the family. Many school districts also have online programs available to students who reside in their district. For a home school family it is important to note that not all of these publically funded options serve home school students, neither for free nor even for a fee. If you plan to explore a publically funded virtual school program you will want to check with them to see what their policy is in terms of enrolling home school students. Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning (http://www.kpk12.com) is a publication that I would recommend that you read in the effort to learn about various public online programs that may be an option for you.
In addition to the enrollment fee that an online program may charge, be sure to ask if there are other fees associated with taking an online course. Such fees may include the cost of ancillary materials that the student may need related to the course or fees related to taking specific exams. Be sure to find out what the program’s policy is in terms of refundable fees should your student decide to drop from the course or otherwise not complete the course.
If you have questions about the costs associated with online learning and what options may be available to you, feel free to email me at: bruce.friend@sas.com
Bruce Friend is the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways®, an award-winning education resource that provides online lessons, engaging tools and activities at no cost to U.S. educators. Bruce has spent the past decade working in the field of online learning. He is a national pioneer in helping to establish the country’s first statewide online program and has been the chief administrator of two state virtual schools. In 2003 he was honored with the “Most Outstanding Achievement in Distance Education” award by the US Distance Learning Association. Prior to joining SAS, Bruce was the Vice President of the North American Council for Online Learning; a non-profit organization that provides support to students, parents, and online learning programs
A key factor that influences many families’ decision about enrolling their students into online courses is cost. Whether you are looking for a full-time online solution or seeking to enroll in a single course, the cost of the course is certainly a consideration when selecting an online program.
There are several factors that will influence what you will pay for an online course. As a general rule of thumb, there is usual a direct correlation between the fee to take an online course and the level of teacher interaction that the student will receive. Stated another way, online courses that include a highly-qualified, well trained online teacher to work with your student will cost more than online courses that are entirely computer-aided in their delivery model and/or provide limited interaction with a teacher.
So how much will you pay? The answer to that question really depends on which model of online course delivery you wish to participate in. If enrolling in a single online course with an online teacher providing the instruction, you can expect the course fee to range from $250-$400 per course per semester. Keep in mind however that depending on your local district or state policies, you may actually have access to accredited online programs at no cost. Approximately 30 states have publically funded state-led virtual schools that provide online courses at no cost to the student. Some states also operate virtual charter schools that enroll students at no cost to the family. Many school districts also have online programs available to students who reside in their district. For a home school family it is important to note that not all of these publically funded options serve home school students, neither for free nor even for a fee. If you plan to explore a publically funded virtual school program you will want to check with them to see what their policy is in terms of enrolling home school students. Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning (http://www.kpk12.com) is a publication that I would recommend that you read in the effort to learn about various public online programs that may be an option for you.
In addition to the enrollment fee that an online program may charge, be sure to ask if there are other fees associated with taking an online course. Such fees may include the cost of ancillary materials that the student may need related to the course or fees related to taking specific exams. Be sure to find out what the program’s policy is in terms of refundable fees should your student decide to drop from the course or otherwise not complete the course.
If you have questions about the costs associated with online learning and what options may be available to you, feel free to email me at: bruce.friend@sas.com
Bruce Friend is the Director of SAS® Curriculum Pathways®, an award-winning education resource that provides online lessons, engaging tools and activities at no cost to U.S. educators. Bruce has spent the past decade working in the field of online learning. He is a national pioneer in helping to establish the country’s first statewide online program and has been the chief administrator of two state virtual schools. In 2003 he was honored with the “Most Outstanding Achievement in Distance Education” award by the US Distance Learning Association. Prior to joining SAS, Bruce was the Vice President of the North American Council for Online Learning; a non-profit organization that provides support to students, parents, and online learning programs
