Studying via the internet helped Brenda DeHaan land the job she longed for without robbing her of time with daughter Jane, 12. “I was unwilling to live on a campus apart from my family or even to go to night classes,” says Brenda, a former high school English teacher. After taking online courses over two years through Montana State University in Bozeman (montana.edu/libmedia), Brenda became a certified librarian. “It was the best career decision I’ve ever made,” says Brenda, who is now the K–12 librarian at Andes Central School in Lake Andes, SD. “After twenty years of preparing lessons and correcting papers, I craved a change.”

Brenda is among a growing number of working moms who opt to learn online so they can embark on a new career or up their earnings in their current one. It’s a way to go to class at home after the kids are asleep. To fit an online program into her busy life, which includes a 9-year-old son, Laurie Smith entered the online Master of Chemical and Life Sciences program at the University of Maryland (life.umd.edu/grad/mlfsc). She graduated less than three years later with a concentration in chemistry and is now the chair of the science department at a private school in New Jersey. “I loved my program,” she says.

More than 60 percent of U.S. schools now offer courses and degree programs over the Internet, according to the U.S. Department of Education—including top-flight universities like Harvard, Duke and Penn State. Better yet, employers are increasingly accepting of the value of online degrees. The payoff for students is clear: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, professionals with a master’s degree earn an average of $11,300 more a year than those with a bachelor’s degree alone. To help you decide if online learning is for you, we take your FAQs.

Will it save me money?
The short answer is yes. Though the tuition for some online degree programs can be as much as traditional programs, the ancillary costs are far lower. There’s no money spent on room and board or on commuting to a campus. Students also have a good chance of getting to use online materials and resources rather than books and other items that must be bought.

What’s the downside?
You have to motivate yourself and schedule time to study. “You must be willing to put in the hours,” says Jaylene Sarracino, a mother of two from Silver Spring, MD, who has been studying online since 2006 at the University of Maryland University College (umuc.edu) while working full-time.

How flexible is it?
You’re not limited by geography: You can live in Massachusetts and pick a school in California. But the biggest upside for many is the ability to go to class when you can fit it in around your family and job. Says Jaylene, a doctoral student who credits online leadership and management courses with helping her get a promotion: “It’s great to be getting a quality education while wearing my bathrobe and stopping to put in another load of laundry.”

Online Resources
elearners.com
Includes online schools that have been accredited.

projectworkingmom.com
Provides information about scholarships and guides to financial assistance.

studentaid.ed.gov
Lists available federal loans and requirements. Calculators vhelp you get estimates on monthly payments and more.

degreesforworkingmoms.com
Connects you with online colleges for specific programs and degrees. There’s no charge to view information.