According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there were 2.9 million degree-seeking students age 35 and older in 2001. Nearly 1 million U.S. students enrolled in courses that took place completely online in 2004, twice as many as two years earlier, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. These students returned to school in search of career advancement or new skills to make a career change, or to fulfill lifelong goals of earning degrees.

Online Degree programs have been the driving force in enrollment increases, and for good reason. Distance education offers new levels of convenience and flexibility to earning a degree. Not only can you be a student without ever sitting in a physical classroom, but you can take your virtual classroom everywhere you go.

With a computer and an Internet connection, you can interact with classmates from around the country, discuss homework assignments with professors, submit papers or tests and participate in group study sessions. Distance learning gives you the same level of education without the rigid structure used in traditional schools.

Whether you are just getting started in your Degree program, looking to complete your degree or earn an advanced degree, distance education might be the perfect solution for you. Many career schools, technical schools and traditional public and private schools offer Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs online. Online degrees are available in many career fields like Business, Criminal Justice, Healthcare, Information Technology, Marketing and a host of others.

Offering far more than just an education, online Degree programs provide options for non-traditional students and those who never considered degree programs before.

"It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to have access to distance learning," said Marilyn King, Montana State University - Bozeman’s Assistant Superintendent for Instruction.

If you are tired of thinking about going back to school to get your degree because it would require quitting your job or relocating, now is the time to give distance education a try.