Once upon a time, servicemen stationed in Antarctica to single mothers of the foothills of the Smokey Mountains couldn’t continue their education by jumping in the car and cruising to their nearest campus. To their benefit a new form of education was created, entitled Long Distance Learning. The roots of getting a degree online can be seen from those simple beginnings.

The concept of “Long Distance Learning” is nothing new. All those who love watching old TV shows from the 50’s to the 70’s will usually come upon a comedy where one of the characters got a “degree” from some highly suspect-sounding institute of higher learning.

The business has actually been legitimate for decades. Back in 1958, the University of Wisconsin offered over 450 different courses, teaching 12,000 students annually, all done through the mail. Like modern online schools, it was a great way for working people, many then on the GI Bill, to improve their economic position.

It was the ARPA and its greatest creation, the Internet, which let colleges go online. After all, it was created to pass information from one person to another, at the speed of light. The first organizations to explore and develop the internet were universities, and many had long distance learning wings. When the PC and Apple became affordable, it didn’t take these ivory tower rocket scientists much to put it all together.

Now it’s the 21st Century, and the online degree is quite common. 67% of the students are women, primarily working mothers. Another growing sector are active military personnel, who want to continue their education while serving their country. Don’t forget the white collar worker who just doesn’t have the time to go on campus.

Where there were once only a handful of school, the number of accredited institutionshas expanded to approximately 250. Some of the best material is now provided from the most amazing sources, such as the former member of Monty Python, John Cleese and his Video Arts studio. . The Federal and state governments, as well as many other organizations have recognized online education since the 90s, and will even provide financial aid for needy students.

Looking over the benefits it’s hard not to see why the number of students currently is in the tens of thousands. One can access many of the finest libraries in the world from the comfort of one’s home. Online texts are constantly being updated and don’t wind up in used book stores in two years. There can even be real-time communication between student and teacher.

The field is still evolving. The introduction of e-books such as the Kindle is expected to have an incredible effect on military distance learning, the same for the iPad, Blueberry and other easily transportable devices. Satellite communications makes it possible to take courses anywhere from the Appalachian mountains to the hot springs of Finland, and college grants and scholarships makes it possible to most. There is more information about GI Bill education available online.