According to the Sloan Consortium twenty percent of the 3.5 million college students in 2006 were taking online college education classes. Enrollment in online classes or programs in growing at at faster rate than that of the general student population. This means online degree programs are here to stay.

In the future more and more students will be using the virtual or online classroom. Public schools are looking more and more to online classes as a way to save money, as public monies become tighter and tighter. Young college students in the future will see online college classes or entire programs as a natural extension of what is happening at the high school level.

Technologically experienced students will transition easily into the online college arena. Many areas of education are now available online. Healthcare, nursing, pharmacology, education, business, engineering, fire science, psychology, design, computer science, and accounting online degrees are just some examples of programs that are offered.

Online programs are available from traditional campus based colleges and universities and from entirely online colleges like Phoenix University. Research has shown that the quality of online degree education equals that of the more traditional face to face classroom.

In the online classroom assignment are available to the student anytime on his or her computer. The student can "attend" at regular classroom hours or study around a work schedule. The student with obligations such as a job or children can study at flexible times to accommodate his or her obligations.

Government money is available for loans for online colleges and universities thanks to recent changes in policy about online college degree programs. Online websites that feature colleges and universities that offer online classes and programs can be helpful in identifying what programs are available. Information about curriculum, enrollment requirements, available resources, accreditation, and tuition costs are available online.