When planning for the cost of college, allocate funds for books and supplies.

Online degrees offer many benefits over traditional degree programs. One potential benefit is a significant cost savings over traditional degrees. Just like traditional programs, however, the cost difference from one program to another can be significant. When comparing the tuition of online degrees, it is important to take all costs into consideration. Some costs that may not be obvious are additional fees, particularly technology fees. The number of credits or semesters required also varies from program to program, impacting the total costs.

Instructions
o 1
List each of the schools that offer the online degree in which you are interested. You will be compiling eight different pieces of information for each school listed. Either create a grid on the page with room to enter in each piece of information or leave enough space in between school names on the list.

o 2
Write or type in the following headings: "Credit Hours Required"; "Cost Per Credit Hour"; "Total Tuition"; "Enrollment Fees"; "Technology Fees"; "Other Fees"; "Total Fees"; "Total Costs."

o 3
Research the information required for each of the headings, other than the ones that start with the word "Total." Those will be calculations you do after getting the rest of the information.

o 4
Calculate the totals. "Total Tuition" equals "Credit Hours Required" multiplied by the "Cost Per Credit Hour." If this is per semester rather than for the entire degree, then multiply that total by the number of required semesters.

"Total Fees" equals the total of "Technology Fees" plus "Other Fees." Since these are almost always charged each semester, multiply that total by the number of semesters. Then add in the "Enrollment Fee," which is generally a one-time fee billed in the first semester.

"Total Costs" equals "Total Tuition" plus "Total Fees."

o 5
Compare the "Total Costs" between each of the schools.