Fast and Affordable GED for Working Adults

Key Infor­ma­tion:

• Approx­i­mate­ly 98% of U.S. col­leges accept the GED for admis­sion, pro­vid­ing GED hold­ers access to bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams that increase earn­ing poten­tial from $899 to $1,493 in medi­an week­ly wages.
• Flex­i­ble online bach­e­lor’s degrees offer GED hold­ers afford­abil­i­ty, self-paced learn­ing, and career-focused cur­ric­u­la in high-demand fields like health­care, busi­ness, and technology.
• Top online col­leges for GED grad­u­ates include South­ern New Hamp­shire Uni­ver­si­ty, Pur­due Uni­ver­si­ty Glob­al, and West­ern Gov­er­nors Uni­ver­si­ty, all offer­ing stu­dent sup­port ser­vices and finan­cial aid options.
• Suc­cess in online bach­e­lor’s pro­grams requires strong time man­age­ment, engage­ment in sup­port ser­vices, and finan­cial plan­ning through schol­ar­ships, grants, and employ­er tuition reim­burse­ment programs.

Did you know that about 98% of col­leges in the U.S. accept the GED cer­tifi­cate for admis­sion pur­pos­es? So, if you have a GED cer­tifi­cate, you should con­sid­er earn­ing a bach­e­lor’s degree. You’ll enjoy high­er earn­ing poten­tial — $899 vs $1,493 in medi­an week­ly earn­ings. (Edu­ca­tion Pays, BLS)

But we also under­stand the bar­ri­ers to col­lege edu­ca­tion that work­ing adults face. Bal­anc­ing work, fam­i­ly, and aca­d­e­m­ic oblig­a­tions isn’t a walk in the park. You’ll also like­ly have doubts about your aca­d­e­m­ic pre­pared­ness. There’s the finan­cial cost, too, par­tic­u­lar­ly amidst the ris­ing cost of col­lege and living.

For­tu­nate­ly, flex­i­ble online bach­e­lor’s degrees for work­ing adults with GED are avail­able. These online pro­grams pro­vide learn­ers with max­i­mum flex­i­bil­i­ty, con­ve­nience, and afford­abil­i­ty. The best pro­grams offer excel­lent aca­d­e­m­ic instruc­tion and stu­dent sup­port ser­vices, too.

So, if you’re inter­est­ed in tak­ing your GED to the next step, read on. We’ll dis­cuss GED-friend­ly online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams for work­ing adults. Then, you’ll also know their ben­e­fits and tips to suc­ceed in these programs.

Relat­ed:

• Flex­i­ble Online Bachelor’s Degrees for Work­ing Adults With GED
• Col­lege Prep Pro­grams for GED Graduates
• Emerg­ing Online Programs
• Open Enroll­ment Online Universities

Why Flexible Online Bachelor’s Degrees Are Ideal for Working Adults with GED

Flex­i­ble online bach­e­lor’s degrees for work­ing adults with GED have their chal­lenges. But these ben­e­fits usu­al­ly out­weigh them.

Accessibility for GED Holders

Many online pro­grams accept GEDs, a boon if you don’t have a high school diplo­ma. GED hold­ers can think of them as a step­ping stone in their career advancement.

Flexibility for Working Adults

Online pro­grams offer self-paced and asyn­chro­nous class­es. Stu­dents can then bal­ance their work and study sched­ules. There’s also the option between part-time and full-time enrollment.

Affordability and Financial Aid

Online pro­grams often have low­er cost of atten­dance than in-per­son pro­grams. Stu­dents can spend less on tuition and fees, trans­porta­tion, and books, among oth­ers. Online stu­dents are eli­gi­ble for finan­cial aid, too.

GED hold­ers can also access spe­cif­ic schol­ar­ships, such as:

• Coca-Cola Adult Edu­ca­tion Scholarships
• Imag­ine Amer­i­ca Foun­da­tion Scholarship

Career Advancement Opportunities

Online degrees for GED grad­u­ates who work full-time boost employ­a­bil­i­ty and career advance­ment. Bach­e­lor’s degree hold­ers are more com­pet­i­tive for entry-lev­el and super­vi­sor roles.

Key Features of Flexible Online Bachelor’s Degrees for Working Adults

These are the shared fea­tures among online pro­grams for work­ing adults.

Self-Paced Learning

Asyn­chro­nous cours­es allow stu­dents to com­plete their cours­es at their own pace and time.

Support Services

Admis­sion-to-grad­u­a­tion sup­port ser­vices are avail­able. Aca­d­e­m­ic advis­ing, online tutor­ing, and career coun­sel­ing are common.

Accreditation

Choose accred­it­ed col­leges and online pro­grams only. Region­al or nation­al accred­i­ta­tion means employ­er and indus­try recog­ni­tion for job prospects.

Transfer Credit Policies

Stu­dents can trans­fer pre­vi­ous cred­its and, thus, save on time and cost of col­lege. GED prep cours­es and pri­or learn­ing expe­ri­ence are con­sid­ered for transfer.

Career-Aligned Curriculum

Many flex­i­ble online bach­e­lor’s degrees for work­ing adults with GED are in high demand. Health­care, tech­nol­o­gy, and busi­ness degrees are the most in-demand pro­grams today.

Top 10 Flexible Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs for Working Adults with GED

We chose the best online bach­e­lor’s pro­grams for adults with GED on the fol­low­ing criteria:

• With region­al and pro­gram­mat­ic accreditation
• Pro­vides robust stu­dent sup­port ser­vices and resources for work­ing adults
• Offers online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams in high-demand industries

Southern New Hampshire University

Pro­grams: Busi­ness Admin­is­tra­tion, Psy­chol­o­gy, Health­care Management

SNHU has an open enroll­ment pol­i­cy for GED hold­ers who want to enter its online pro­grams. Stu­dents praise the self-paced options and afford­able tuition. Finan­cial aid is avail­able for online stu­dents, too.

Western Governors University

Pro­grams: IT, Edu­ca­tion, Busi­ness, and Nursing

WGU offers qual­i­ty yet afford­able online degrees for work­ing adults with GED. Stu­dents pay $8,300 in aver­age year­ly tuition; finan­cial aid is avail­able. WGU’s com­pe­ten­cy-based edu­ca­tion mod­el also saves time and cost. Stu­dents prove their course mas­tery and com­plete it before its sched­uled end.

Purdue University Global

Pro­grams: Crim­i­nal Jus­tice, Human Ser­vices, and Business

PUG’s flex­i­ble col­lege pro­grams for GED grad­u­ates with jobs features:

• 10-week cours­es that enable stu­dents to com­plete them in a faster time
• Flex­i­ble sched­ul­ing that work­ing stu­dents appreciate
• Robust sup­port ser­vices for adult students

Arizona State University Online

Pro­grams: Lib­er­al Stud­ies, Com­mu­ni­ca­tion, and Engi­neer­ing Management

Employ­ers rec­og­nize ASU’s accred­it­ed online bach­e­lor’s degrees for GED hold­ers. Appli­cants with strong GED scores are wel­come. Once accept­ed, stu­dents enjoy the exten­sive stu­dent sup­port. Trans­fer stu­dents with approved trans­fer cred­its save on time and cost of college.

University of Maryland Global Campus

Pro­grams: Cyber­se­cu­ri­ty, Account­ing, and Social Sciences

UMGC’s GED-friend­ly online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams offer afford­able tuition. Even low-income stu­dents can afford their edu­ca­tion, espe­cial­ly with finan­cial aid. Fur­ther­more, UMGC pre­pares its stu­dents for career suc­cess by empha­siz­ing career readiness.

Liberty University Online

Pro­grams: Edu­ca­tion, Health­care, and Busi­ness Administration

LU’s bach­e­lor’s degrees online for work­ing GED earn­ers fea­ture faith-based edu­ca­tion. The 8‑week cours­es mean faster com­ple­tion of the cours­es. Stu­dents earn their bach­e­lor’s degrees soon­er, too. LU has a GED-friend­ly admis­sions policy.

Capella University

Pro­grams: Psy­chol­o­gy, IT, and Nursing

Capel­la’s self-paced online bach­e­lor’s pro­grams for work­ing adults with GED are afford­able, too. Stu­dents pay a flat fee per term instead of on a per-cred­it basis. The Flex­i­ble Flex­Path learn­ing mod­el allows stu­dents to com­plete cours­es at their own pace.

Colorado State University Global

Pro­grams: Mar­ket­ing, Project Man­age­ment, and IT

CSU Glob­al’s career-focused online degrees for GED grad­u­ates fea­ture a ful­ly online learn­ing for­mat. Stu­dents praise the month­ly start dates for their cours­es. This for­mat is the most con­ve­nient if you’re a work­ing professional.

Grand Canyon University

Pro­grams: Ear­ly Child­hood Edu­ca­tion, Busi­ness, and Sociology

GCU has a GED-friend­ly enroll­ment pol­i­cy that attracts work­ing pro­fes­sion­als and adult learn­ers. Stu­dents can main­tain a good work-life bal­ance, thanks to flex­i­ble sched­ules. The sup­port­ive fac­ul­ty mem­bers ensure that adult learn­ers max­i­mize their study time, too.

Walden University

Pro­grams: Health­care, Pub­lic Admin­is­tra­tion, and Psychology

Walden’s online pro­grams focus on adult learn­ers and their unique needs. Oth­er notable fea­tures include mul­ti­ple start dates and career-ori­ent­ed courses.

Tips for Success in Flexible Online Bachelor’s Programs

Being a suc­cess­ful online stu­dent demands dis­ci­pline and drive.

1. Pri­or­i­tize time man­age­ment. Cre­ate a bal­anced sched­ule that con­sid­ers your work, fam­i­ly, and school com­mit­ments. Use dig­i­tal tools to man­age your time. Task man­age­ment apps (e.g., Todoist) and cal­en­dars (e.g., Google Cal­en­dar) are popular.
2. Uti­lize sup­port ser­vices. Take full advan­tage of tutor­ing, coun­sel­ing, and tech­ni­cal sup­port services.
3. Set clear goals. Define your short-term and long-term aca­d­e­m­ic and career goals. Set mile­stones so you can keep motivated.
4. Stay engaged and net­work. Peer-to-peer engage­ment is a source of infor­ma­tion and inspi­ra­tion. Be active in group projects, dis­cus­sion boards, and net­work­ing events.
5. Seek finan­cial aid. Col­lege costs $38,270/student/year, on aver­age. Get­ting finan­cial aid is a must to com­plete your degree. Explore schol­ar­ships, grants, and employ­er tuition reim­burse­ment pro­grams for GED and online graduates.

Benefits of Earning a Flexible Online Bachelor’s Degree as a GED Graduate

Grad­u­ates with flex­i­ble online bach­e­lor’s degrees for work­ing adults with GED enjoy these benefits.

Increased Career Opportunities

Bach­e­lor’s degree hold­ers are more com­pet­i­tive for lead­er­ship roles with high salaries. This is par­tic­u­lar­ly true in the health­care, busi­ness, and tech­nol­o­gy industries.

Improved Confidence

Earn­ing a bach­e­lor’s degree is no mean feat. Doing so means boost­ing your self-esteem and love for life­long learning.

Financial Security

Bach­e­lor’s degree hold­ers earn 85% more than non-degree hold­ers on aver­age. Plus, col­lege grad­u­ates have a low­er unem­ploy­ment rate than high school grad­u­ates — 2.2% vs. 3.9%.

Enhanced Work-Life Balance

Work­ing adults can achieve their aca­d­e­m­ic goals while meet­ing their work and fam­i­ly oblig­a­tions. A bet­ter work-life bal­ance is essen­tial for good phys­i­cal and men­tal health.

How to Choose the Right Online Bachelor’s Degree Program

There’s no one-size-fits-all in online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams. Keep these steps in mind when choos­ing the right one for yourself.

Research accreditation.

• Check for region­al or nation­al accred­i­ta­tion first.
• Then, if you’re inter­est­ed in a spe­cial­ized pro­gram, check for pro­gram­mat­ic accreditation.

Aca­d­e­m­ic qual­i­ty and indus­try recog­ni­tion are among the ben­e­fits of accreditation.

Match program to career goals.

• Define your long-term career goals first.
• Assess the pro­grams’ respec­tive cur­ricu­lum, learn­ing out­comes, and grad­u­ate success.
• Choose a degree pro­gram that aligns with your career goals.

Compare costs and financial aid.

• Look for pro­grams that offer afford­able tuition and fees.
• Con­sid­er the avail­abil­i­ty of finan­cial aid, includ­ing fed­er­al, insti­tu­tion­al, and exter­nal aid.

Evaluate program flexibility.

• Deter­mine if the pro­gram’s learn­ing for­mat and sched­ule align with your needs. Self-paced, asyn­chro­nous class­es are best.

Check support services.

• Pri­or­i­tize pro­grams with robust stu­dent sup­port ser­vices and resources for adult learners.

Conclusion

Flex­i­ble online bach­e­lor’s degree pro­grams pro­vide GED hold­ers with unique oppor­tu­ni­ties. You can earn a bach­e­lor’s degree in a high-demand, high-pay­ing pro­fes­sion. In turn, your career advance­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties get a boost.

But it’s cru­cial to choose the right online pro­gram that meets your needs and goals. You must also stay com­mit­ted to your dream and achieve a good work-life balance.