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Helpful Steps For Navigating the Costs of Online Degrees

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We all know college can be expensive, but we are here to give you helpful steps with navigating the costs of online degrees.

Over half of adults (56%) who want to start or finish a degree hesitate because of the cost, according to the Lumina Foundation’s 2024 State of Higher Education Report.

But it’s not just the expense that’s daunting; many people are also unsure about the actual cost. The report reveals that most adults either overestimate or underestimate college costs by at least $5,000.

The good news? College costs don’t have to be so confusing. There are resources available to help you gain clarity—and you might even uncover some surprising ways to save!

Consider an online degree.

Online college programs are a popular choice among adult learners (those over 24 years old) because of the flexibility they allow people with jobs, families and other responsibilities. Many universities — UNC Charlotte included — keep their credit hour costs for in-person and online programs the same or similar to show that both paths lead to the same quality education.

But there’s a host of ways online programs fare better than their on-campus counterparts when it comes to expenses:

Online students are also eligible for a lot of the same benefits as on-campus students, too.

Earn your money back.

Although the cost of tuition seems like a lot up front, and it can be, most graduates are better off for it, financially. That’s because they’ll most likely earn more after graduation. A 2023 study of the University of North Carolina System’s academic undergraduate programs showed the median lifetime earnings of a UNC System bachelor’s degree graduate ($1.2M) surpasses that of a North Carolinian without a degree ($628K) by $572K. How’s that for a return on investment?

The right college program is worth every penny.

No matter where you earn your degree, make sure you’re getting the best value for your tuition dollars. Not all colleges are the same, so do your research. We’ll get you started with a few facts about UNC Charlotte Online:

Visit online.charlotte.edu to find more information.