America likes to consider itself the land of second chances. In the 19th and 20th Century this meant it was a chance for immigrants to come here, start anew and build a new life. While there might be some controversy about that these days, the rule still applies for college drop outs. These prospective students aren’t kids, however, and have real life responsibilities they can’t ignore. This is where on line degree programs are the answer.

If you had dropped out of college, don’t feel alone. For starters, there are a number of universities that will out-and-out tell incoming freshmen they will not get their Bachelors degree from them. These include such august institutions of higher learning as Harvard, MIT and Yale. Their dropout rate is as high as 75% over a four-year period. Dropping out isn’t exclusive to the Ivy League either. The New York Times reports such state institutions as UMass, University of Montana and University of New Mexico have rates ranging from 33% to 44% over six year periods. In fact, the Times reports the national average for freshmen graduating is only 50%. Primary reasons are poor preparation at secondary schools, finances, health, personal disaster or just plain not being mature enough to handle the responsibility of a degree program.

There are some solid numbers for going back to school. The Bureau reports the unemployment rate of high school dropouts is currently over 32%. The unemployment rate for college graduates drops to 10%. Getting a Bachelors also makes solid financial sense. The salary differential between a high school grad and someone with a Bachelors degree is getting wider and wider. The average salary of a high school grand is $30,000. An individual who completes a four-year program averages $52,000. The person with the Bachelors also has a better chance at life/health insurance, retirement programs and other perks.

So is this the end of the world? Hardly. As said before, this is supposed to be the nation of second chances. A good way for a college drop out to get that second chance is at an online college. Here are some of the ways an online college can help:

(1) If you dropped out to get a job or have a child, you can make your online education conform to your job and life. You can study from home, meaning you have one less place to commute to. In these days when it seems the world itself is pressed for time, this is something that’s an advantage and saves money too.

(2) What if your original major just wasn’t for you? An online college is a less stressful way to find what is. It’s not uncommon for students to switch major in the middle of college. Starting by taking some courses of interest, and then finding out what you’re good at, is a great way to lead to a career. Online is a much easier way to sample the waters before diving in.

(3) You don’t go to campus, the campus comes to you. This is of particular importance to the road warrior who must commute from one city to another. Thanks to the advent of Wi-Fi, a laptop and a wireless modem make spending a night in a motel far more productive than seeing what’s on cable.

Here’s another thing to make you feel less alone. One third of all students currently attending college had dropped out in the past. In fact, many come back more mature and knowing what’s truly expected of them. These days online programs are giving them the second chance to better themselves. No matter where you left off in the past, take the chance to get the online degree education you need to give yourself your new start. If you are interested in going back to college to get your degree and more information about distance learning degree program would be of help to you, check the internet.