Quick Highlights:
- Online, evening, and weekend classes offer flexibility for parents with busy schedules.
- These programs allow parents to balance education with work and family responsibilities.
- Part-time study options are available, but may extend the time to complete your degree.
- Many colleges offer additional support like childcare and financial aid for parenting students.
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As a parent, you have children to take care of and a job to do during the day. If you’re returning to college as a parent, you need to find flexible learning options that make it easier to get a degree. Your schedule may be too full to go to a traditional brick-and-mortar school.
Fortunately, there are many flexible online degrees available that you can sign up for. Other than enrolling in flexible degrees online, you can take weekend or evening college classes. Through flexible learning programs and asynchronous programs, you can simplify the process of going back to school.
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Understanding Flexible Learning Options
Flexible learning options constitute a broad category of college degrees. Anything that goes beyond the traditional in-person degree style may be counted in this category. This includes:
- evening college classes
- weekend programs
- online classes
- asynchronous programs
With education options for busy parents, you can go to college without feeling like you are missing out on your child’s life. You can study for your degree from your kitchen table or use life experience to get additional credits.
More importantly, you have the option to design a degree program that matches your needs. If you want a hybrid learning program that includes online classes and in-person classes, you can find a school that has these kinds of options. Your education is within your control.
Online Courses
When most people mention flexible degrees, they’re normally talking about online learning programs. Back in 1989, the University of Phoenix was the first school to launch an entirely online program. Over the years, online degrees have grown in popularity.
While flexible online degrees used to have a stigma, this stereotype has disappeared over the years. Today, most large universities and colleges offer online classes. In many cases, employers can’t tell if you received your degree online or not. Even when they do realize that you went to an online program, it is rarely an issue.
In addition to being considered the same as traditional degrees, flexible online degrees have many other benefits for non-traditional students. Because they are offered online, you can study at any time of the day and any day of the week. Your work and family responsibilities don’t have to limit your ability to get an education.
Online college is also ideal if you live in a rural area. Because the degree is conducted almost entirely online, you don’t have to be located close to the college.
Additionally, going to school online means that you can keep your day job and continue taking care of your children. This reduces the opportunity cost of going to school and makes returning to college as a parent much easier.
Evening Classes
If you really love the in-person aspect of traditional colleges, there are many flexible degrees you can pursue. Evening college classes are an excellent way to obtain your education without quitting your day job.
Typically, evening college classes will start at 5 or 6. Then, the class may go on for several hours. At many schools, the evening classes are longer than a daytime class so that students can go to school on fewer days. This makes it easier to schedule your academic calendar around the rest of your life.
Weekend Degree Programs
If evening classes aren’t ideal for you, you can always investigate weekend degree programs. A weekend program only occurs on the weekends. This is ideal if you need to make dinner and help your child with homework during the week.
With a weekend class, you may spend eight hours in school each day. Some weekend programs require you to attend class every weekend. If the class is combined with online coursework, you may be able to reduce the amount of in-person time to one or two weekends a month.
Part-Time Study Options
If you need flexible college schedules, signing up for online, weekend, or evening college classes is just the first step. You can also get more flexible learning options by going to school on a part-time basis.
There are many college options for working parents that make getting an education easier. With a part-time schedule, you can take fewer classes. This will make it simpler to balance your study time and your family life. However, it will also mean that your degree takes longer to complete.
Other than considering how long your degree will take, you should also think about the financial aid implications. Most grants and scholarships require you to go to school on a full-time basis. Normally, this means that you have to take at least 12 credits in a quarterly program to get financial aid from the government.
Additional Support for Parenting Students
Returning to college as a parent can be incredibly difficult. Fortunately, your community college or university likely has options available that can help. At certain schools, there are even childcare programs available.
Often, childcare is available at community colleges and universities that have early childhood education classes. Students who are getting early childhood education degrees work in the childcare center, which is why school-provided childcare is incredibly affordable. You can just drop your kids off before class and pick them up after your adult education programs are over.
Going to school as an adult with a child means that you can apply for financial aid on your own. Normally, you don’t qualify as an independent adult on financial aid until you are 24 years old. If you have a child before this milestone, you are automatically counted as an independent adult, so you don’t have to use your parents’ income on your financial aid application.
Additionally, there are many financial aid, grants, and scholarships available for parents. For example, the Patsy Mink Foundation Education Support Award and Women’s Independence Scholarship Program both provide scholarships to parents. You can talk to your college about the types of programs that are available at your school.
Finally, many colleges offer networking and support groups for students who are also parents. These support groups may be able to help by offering advice, childcare, or support. You may also be able to form study groups with other parents, so you can bring your children along to your study sessions.
Making the Decision
While returning to college as a parent is an exciting decision, you should carefully consider the pros and cons before you commit yourself to getting a degree. You should think about the cost and time commitment. Additionally, you must consider whether the degree will help you get a promotion or raise in the future.
To balance academic and familial responsibilities, try to pick a schedule that makes achieving a balance easier. For example, you can do your homework when your children do their schoolwork. You can also set rules about distractions, so your kids get used to giving you space while you study. Whenever possible, let your family and friends help, so you don’t have to do everything by yourself.
Discover Flexible Learning Options for Parents
There are many flexible learning options parents can use. If you are returning to college as a parent, you can enroll in:
- flexible online degrees
- weekend programs
- evening college classes
With flexible degrees, you can reach your educational goals without feeling like you are letting your family down.