Recent surveys have revealed that online education would surpass the expected 20% estimate in the future if financial aid, scholarships and online education kept pace.

Until recent times, financial aid, scholarships and online education were hard to balance as there were restrictions on the use of grants and loans. Where the content is concerned, distance learning is identical to conventional education but when it comes to financial aid and scholarships, there’s a world of difference. It is mainly the degree mills and bogus institutions to blame for this.

There are three provisions to the 1965 Higher Education Act that ensure availing scholarships or financial aid for distance education is next to impossible.

The first is the 12 hour rule which requires a student applying for financial aid in an online course that requires more than half-time commitment. Each week needs to have at least 12 hours of instruction, examination and preparation for testing.

Secondly the institution imparting the course is only eligible if less than 50% of its student population are distance learners or less than 50% of its courses are on computer, correspondence or video.

The third requirement is that courses should be related to a standard educational timeframe like quarters and semesters. Also less than 30 weeks of instruction per year will not be eligible.

Later after endless debates, the US Department of Education has relaxed these stringent rules to the extent that they are almost at par with the more conventional form of education. Online degrees info reports:

While it is thought that online learning may capture as much as 20% of all higher education enrolments in the future, recent surveys suggest that this number would be higher if financial aid, scholarships and online education were playing by the same rules. Luckily, times are a changing.