Starting college in your thirties? Here are options to further your education

I admire your determination to return to school and earn your degree. I think you will be pleased with the employment opportunities that can come along with a higher education degree. As you may have guessed, education has changed since 1993. One of the most dramatic changes is the presence of online education, which is now a popular form of learning. According to the Sloan Consortium, the number of students who are learning online is increasing at a rapid rate. In 2008, there were 4.6 million students who were enrolled in one or more online courses, compared to 1.6 million in 2002.

Online education is particularly popular among learners who are returning to school after years out in the work force. These students are often older and have multiple responsibilities like a full-time job or a family. Enrolling in online courses won't disrupt your current routines and, no babysitter necessary, since you can do your learning right at your home computer.

You can start searching institutions on WorldWideLearn.com by your specific state or desired program, in your case, bachelor's degree in psychology. If an online education isn't what you had in mind, there are on-campus university and college programs you can look into. You can search the Department of Education's Database for Accredited Postsecondary Institutions site. Once you have narrowed your schools down to a few, I suggest meeting with an enrollment counselor at each. They can answer any specific questions you have about the school or program.

Earning you bachelor's degree in psychology is going to take some dedication and hard work, but it sounds like you are up for the challenge! And with online courses and degree options, it is as convenient as ever.