How distance learning degree programs help single parents

Distance learning degree programs offer a plethora of benefits for college students, but rarely do people consider how these online programs help single parents, and especially single mothers, get ahead in this world.

For most single parents, the lack of financial resources and daily responsibilities are more than enough to deter them from going back to college.

Single parents have to learn how to juggle the everyday tasks in life, the requirements and requests of their children, work, and, for those who are trying to better their career, college classes, with little to no help. Needless to say, this juggling act is not an easy feat, and many single parents are forced to make a decision between time with their family and attending college classes.

Hard working mothers, poverty and education

A study that was conducted and written by the US Census Bureau reported in 2007 that over 23% of families with single parents were considered to fall within the poverty level and almost 80% of single moms held jobs. Sadly, these statistics meant that many of the hard-working single mothers and their children also lived within poverty levels.

However, this study also provided some optimistic statistics about the education levels of single mothers. The statistics showed that over the course of 12 years, the education levels of the mothers had increased. Fewer single mothers fell into the category of people who had less than a completed high school education as the years progressed, while the amount of single mothers who had obtained their associate’s degree rose from 17.1% to 25.6% between 1994 and 2006.

How distance learning programs help single parents

What do these statistics have to do with how distance learning programs help single parents? When the stress of working a full time or part time job, raising children, and handling every day life is added to struggling with poverty, there seems to be no room in the schedule to take the time that is required to drive to a college campus and attend classes, and the financial costs of a traditional college can be extremely daunting.

Flexibility and Efficiency - A computer education online offers the flexibility and efficiency that single parents need in their hectic lives. Distance learning courses can be completed during the times that are convenient for the parent; therefore the parent can study and do their coursework after the children are in bed, a time when campus college classes normally are not in session. Additionally, the time that students sit in a traditional college class is not necessary for a student who studies at home online, because online classes can be taken at the student’s pace and can usually be completed faster than campus classes, depending on the abilities of the student. With the flexibility and efficiency factors, online colleges help families by allowing the parent to pursue and obtain their degree without sacrificing quality time with the children.

Cost Savings - A career education online can also offer cost savings for parents who are struggling financially. Parents who attend classes on campus would most likely need to hire a babysitter or child care services for the children, while online distance learning eliminates the necessity for child care, as students are able to study at home, with children in the same room. Additionally, online colleges often cost less than campus colleges, because there are less fees involved, e-books are often cheaper than the costly hardcopy books, and there is also a savings at the gas pump, because commuting is not necessary. These savings can be spent on the family needs and wants, rather than the college education.

Valuable Life Lessons - Probably the best thing that online web learning does for single parents is it helps them to show their children that obtaining a college degree is an achievable accomplishment for anyone, and even for their parents. When a single parent pursues and completes their distance learning degree, it demonstrates to their children that a college education is valuable, and that hard work and perseverance pays off.