Brevard County, Florida's source for homeschooling information.

College at Home

Using the internet, students may earn a few credits or a college diploma through distance learning. College at home is becoming increasingly popular for many reasons:

Expense -- Distance learning allows the student to live at home, rather than in a dorm or apartment possibly in another town. With gas prices increasing, even driving to the local college or university can prove incredibly expensive. Additionally, distance learning credit hours may be less expensive than “in person” credits.
Acceleration -- Homeschooled students frequently are more academically advanced than their classroom school counterparts. Their parents would like to allow them to continue with higher level courses, but they are concerned about exposing their teens to the more mature, traditionally-aged college students. Distance learning offers the benefit of advanced courses without the risk of running in an older crowd.
Speed of study -- In many cases, the course proceeds at the student’s rate of study, so a course that could have involved a semester of sitting in class might be completed, for example, in a month of diligent work. Those students who need additional time are not under as much pressure as they would be in a traditional environment.
Availability of “credit by examination” tests -- Homeschooled students who have had diverse experiences such as mission trips, extensive foreign language study, internships, or unique hobbies may be able to earn substantial college credits. These tests are available whether the student does on-campus or distance learning, but many families do not realize that they may have already been doing college-level work at home. “Credit by examination” tests will give the student proper credit for this effort. Preparation books for the CLEP, DANTES, and AP tests are readily available in the library or from booksellers.
Jump-start on entrepreneurial life -- Being free-thinkers, many homeschooled students would like to pursue entrepreneurial life rather than fitting into the corporate “box.” Doing college at home allows those students to begin their entrepreneurial efforts right away. (Franchises are a great place to start if you are considering this idea!)
Flexibility -- With distance learning, students may take one course or many depending on their schedules and goals.

Potential Objections

As with students at younger ages, friends and relatives may have objections to college at home. Your student is now a young adult and can make his own decisions, but he will need your support as the flack starts to fly. Here are some possible objections that may come up:

Social life -- College is a time when students have the opportunity to party, make friendships, join a fraternity or sorority, and find a spouse. Will the student pursuing distance learning miss out on all this? Perhaps he will miss some of it, but that may not be all bad. Many people regret the mistakes they made in college. Still, your student is not going to spend the day locked in the house staring at the computer screen. He will likely be out working, doing volunteer work, playing community sports, or attending church activities. He may also choose to do some campus classes not available via distance learning.
Future prospects -- Some parents worry that a degree from a distance college or through a distance program may hamper the student’s prospects for a good job. If your student has the lofty goal of Harvard Law School or perhaps a career on Wall Street, this is a very valid concern; however, if your student is interested in working for the majority of corporate America or a smaller company, his distance degree is equally valuable. In many cases, a degree is required for certain jobs, but who awarded the diploma or the field of study does not matter. Once the person lands the first job, all subsequent positions will be earned based upon experience and job performance. Your student may wish to pursue an advanced degree, such as a Master’s or an MBA, and his test scores on the GRE or GMAT will be the deciding factor in that.

If your student is interested in entrepreneurial pursuits, he may be looking for a degree to fall back on or one that gives him specialized knowledge to help run his business. Distance learning offers great opportunity to pursue what interests him!

College at Home

Potential Objections

Further Reading

Christian Perspective

Other