Having been introduced in 1998, tuition fees have remained a contentious issue in the further education sector. For some they’re the great saviours of universities – but for many more they’re the biggest obstacle to gaining a degree.
In many ways, tuition fees have become emblematic of a society growing increasingly suspicious of university life. The cliché of the layabout student – even though it’s grossly inaccurate for working or middle class students with jobs on the side – has moved from a poor taste joke to a widespread belief.
Moreover, fees are making some working class students apprehensive about moving into higher education. With an uncertain job market, is a spin of the wheel on a degree in humanities worth the hassle for your career?
The question becomes more problematic when you’re already in a steady job. Being young and unsure is one thing, but being 30 and considering a degree can feel like a terrifying shot in the dark.
What if you can’t balance work and studying? What if your family life suffers? What if the qualification you acquire gives you no leverage in your workplace? And what if your boss is unwilling to help fund your studies, or even give you piecemeal time off?
Big decisions for your career
It’s a major decision, but the landscape of further education has progressed in line with modern technology. Brick-and-mortar universities have become marginally less relevant, especially when an online degree can be obtained from the comfort of your own home.
Only a decade or so ago, distance learning was the dodgy younger brother to ‘proper’ university. To get a passing grade, you’d have to study in almost complete isolation, with only Open University television programmes, which were usually broadcast at 2am, to help you.
Dark times, then, but the dawn of broadband has flung distance learning into the future.
The glittering future of studying
Courses can now be completed almost entirely online, relying on on-the-job assessments to determine a pass or a fail. What’s more, they’re usually cheaper than a course based on campus.
Distance learning degrees have, arguably, more credibility than a fulltime degree, in part because they show how you can balance a number of tasks while on the job. Your boss will inevitably be impressed by the extra skills you’re accruing while you work.
And, unlike the dark days of learning before the internet, you’re no longer alone with a few textbooks to help you. With Skype, Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), email and Google, you can go above and beyond the call of duty, as it were, in terms of resources and communicating with your tutor.
Ultimately, online degrees have become viable ways to make learning work for you, especially if you choose the right institution. So do your research, pony up your cash and prepare for a learning experience with real value.