Students living in rural areas tend to live and work farther from higher-education institutions -- including community colleges -- than their suburban- and urban-dwelling counterparts. This inconvenience equates to
lower rates of college and university attendance for rural students, as well as
fewer opportunities to advance in their careers and earn higher salaries.
Online learning can present solutions to the challenges many rural students face by providing a learning structure that allows for
flexibility and
affordability.
Flexibility and Convenience. Online learners don’t need to commute because they can attend classes from the comfort of their homes, local coffee shops, or practically anywhere with an internet connection. This eliminates the stress of traveling hours to a physical campus.
Additionally, some online universities provide classes that don't have specific class times, allowing modern learners to learn and study at any time of day.
Affordability. Attending an online university usually means avoiding the student fees and out-of-state costs that physical campuses tend to add on to tuition rates, bringing down the overall cost of attendance.
Online Community and Resources. Rural students tend to have more close-knit communities, which can be replicated in an online university environment. Online learning offers the chance to join another community with other modern learners who live around the world. Some online universities offer student communities, and most have resources to help students thrive in and outside of the classroom.
Living in a rural area doesn’t necessarily have to be a barrier to higher education or obtaining a degree. With the flexibility, affordability, convenience, and resources that online universities offer, all modern learners have access to quality education, no matter where they reside.
