As many Americans believe that education can be part of personal growth, some may find that it's difficult to attend a full-time higher degree program if they have other obligations, such as a family or a career.
The University of Washington Educational Outreach program announced that it will be expanding the number of virtual degrees offered through the college, in an effort to reach a broader range of students whose needs may not otherwise be met.
School officials said that they've been met with appreciation from students who would be interested in taking such courses, saying that pupil reviews have been positive thus far.
However, academics have suggested that students should take these classes seriously, as it could be easy to let education fall by the wayside because of the nontraditional setting.
"Since it's so convenient, a lot of students don't try as hard," said Danny Jung, a senior at the school. "Or while watching online lecturers, they get easily distracted since they are not forced to sit there and take notes. You have to be really good at time management and be proactive and responsible [to get coursework finished]."
