Online Education Enables Worldwide Participation!
May 5, 2010 by Natasha Bright
Filed under Online Colleges
Higher education is becoming global, as the number of international students reportedly grows by degrees, online and otherwise. “Global” is the buzzword in education as students explore colleges that offer distance learning degrees, throwing open doors and crossing borders in the pursuit of education.
For the 2008-2009 academic year, colleges and universities throughout the United States reported a record near 672,000 international student enrollments, according to an annual Open Doors report. Most came from India, China and South Korea and were studying business and management and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects, the report published by the Washington, D.C.-based Institute of International Education noted. If you need more information about online college grants, look on the internet.
While a preliminary survey for the 2009-2010 academic year reportedly produced mixed Institute results, the Chronicle of Higher Education has reported that some 3 million study abroad students overall in 2009 is projected to climb to 8 million by 2025. And Ben Wildavsky, who penned the book, “The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities are Reshaping the World”, has likened the worldwide happening to a “free trade in minds” and “a chance for greater intellectual exchange, collaboration, and innovation”, according to an Inside Higher Education report.
Global education can also be big business. International students and their families contribute more than $13 billion a year to the American economy, much of it in the form of tuition, the Institute for International Education noted. Students tend to begin their searches for schools based on guidance from family and friends, according to a Chronicle of Higher Education report on a spring Going Global conference held in London. Latin American students also look toward publications for assistance, undergraduates in Africa and the Middle East rely on the advice of their professors and graduate students look for quality, reputable programs that best meet their career goals, the Chronicle report noted.
Many reportedly share common desires for fast responses to their inquiries and applications. Going Global speakers citing a wide array of higher education choices reportedly cautioned against treating international students as “cash cows” and recommended instead that colleges and universities focus on giving them something for their money. There is an abundance of information about distance learning universities on the web.
American colleges and universities currently hold the greatest share of top researchers and Nobel winners, according to Wildavsky’s Inside Higher Education interview. United States institutions also draw the most top international students, Widalvsky reported said. With regard to colleges’ online offerings specifically, America leads the world in reputation, accessibility and acceptance, a University Business article noted.
International students pursuing American college degrees online or simply taking classes through colleges online have it easy in that they don’t have to travel miles from home. Nor do they have to concern themselves with passports, visas, I-20 forms or I-94 cards. Tuition for colleges online in America in many instances costs the same for domestic and international students. And enrolling in online college offerings and pursuing degrees online means not having to worry about issues such as post-9/11 precautions or the H1N1 virus. A consulting firm known as Hobsons does recommend that international students enrolling in classes offered by American universities and colleges online seek out accredited institutions, interactive programs and flexible course formats that allow time for other responsibilities.
At least one American university as early as 2001 reportedly made it a requirement for undergraduates to take college classes online. The goal, in part is to provide students with global perspectives from worldwide scholars and practitioners with whom the institution partners, the Sloan Consortium reported. As of spring 2004, the school’s Global Virtual Faculty Program involved nearly 50 scholars and practitioners from 23 countries who were working with about 900 students, according to the Consortium.
Those who obtain a college distance learning degree join fellow students from everywhere in the world. No matter where you are or what your schedule is, a college degree online is one sure way to match education and career goals for everyone.