Although there have always been correspondence schools and vocational schools, the nontraditional college movement encompasses so much more than this. So before you figure out how this might apply to the burning issue of paying for college, it might be helpful to define some terms:

To a large degree, the growth of nontraditional college educations has been all about lowering one’s college costs and increasing earning potential. As you read this book and wrestle with how you’re going to pay for a traditional education, you need to weigh the merits of shifting to a nontraditional education.

Although it seems that virtually every school is trying to reposition itself as offering a nontraditional learning environment, some industry leaders exist that every potential nontraditional student should evaluate. These include the following:

The primary advantage of these schools over some of the more recognized brick-and-mortar traditional and state schools offering nontraditional options is that schools like Capella University and Grand Canyon University really cater to the unique needs of nontraditional students. Whether it is their technology or how you interact with your academic advisor, these schools are not just going to be patient with nontraditional students—they’re going to treat them like first-class citizens.

Nontraditional degree programs can easily save you $5,000 to $10,000 annually over traditional schools. These savings don’t necessarily come from a lower cost of tuition, though. In fact, many nontraditional schools have a higher per-unit rate than many state colleges and middle-priced private schools.

The savings comes, however, from the fact that most nontraditional students don’t face an increased cost of room and board over their current situations. Just as with a student attending community college (more on the wisdom of this in Chapter 21), nontraditional students usually continue to live at home with their parents or their existing roommates. This can easily amount to saving $500 or more per month in housing costs for cash-strapped students and families. Throw in the additional savings of sharing and preparing meals for your student or with existing roommates, instead of shopping for one or eating at a school’s dining hall, and you’ve found another $100 to $200 per month in savings.

In addition to the huge savings potentially reaped on room and board, nontraditional students typically save a good amount of money on transportation. These savings come from the fact that the student is either an online student, who doesn’t have to commute at all, or a student attending intensive, time-compacted classes (4 to 5 hours once or twice per week), and thus only has to make one or two trips to campus each week. On top of all that, there is no need to buy airline tickets, rent a moving truck, or worry about whether a student should take his car to college.

Additional cost savings are also often experienced on the following things:

One thing potential students need to be aware of is that many nontraditional schools are actually private companies who are attempting to make a profit. In many cases this can be good because it forces the schools to recognize that students are customers who can take their business elsewhere. But you do need to be aware that many of the employees of these schools, especially admissions advisors, are compensated in large part on whether they can talk you into enrolling.

As I often tell the nontraditional students I work with and teach, they have a great opportunity to leapfrog both traditional students and their nondegreed peers when it comes to their standing in the workplace. That’s because, in all my years of hiring people for various jobs, I never really much cared where or how they got their degrees, as long as they had one, as well as having substantial work experience.

Nontraditional educations give students of all ages the ability to obtain a degree and work at least part time simultaneously. Aside from the obvious financial benefits of earning an income to offset college costs, nontraditional students build their resumés and gain work experience before they graduate. This makes them strong contenders for jobs over traditional graduates who spent their four years living the college lifestyle.

For mid-career professionals looking to broaden their skills and get a leg up on the corporate ladder, nontraditional educations again give them a strong edge over those who take time off to go back and earn their undergraduate or graduate degrees. It makes for an intense few years of juggling work, family, and school, but it almost guarantees that you’ll be better positioned to snag the cushy jobs down the road.

Before you or your student dives headlong into a nontraditional education, you need to consider a few things. Although I strongly believe that this is a great alternative to a traditional degree, you need to ask yourself some key questions. If you can’t answer “Yes” to most of the following questions, you probably should steer clear of a nontraditional education and stick with a traditional two- or four-year degree: