And now things get even better: many U.S. universities are putting courses online FOR FREE! As the following article says, “At a time when many top schools are expensive and difficult to get into, some say it's a return to the broader mission of higher education: to offer knowledge to everyone. And tens of millions are reaching for it.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/12/30/AR2007123002796.html

DISTANCE LEARNING, ONLINE DEGREES

     Find here extensive information on courses you can take and degrees you can earn from your home.

http://www.academicinfo.net/eddistcourses.html

     And PETERSON’S says, “From the comfort of your own home, you can receive a degree from a traditional accredited college online and earn a certificate award, bachelors, masters, or doctorate degree or complete your degree via the Internet.” To investigate their listings click below:

http://www.petersons.com/distancelearning/code/search.asp

NINE OF THE CRAZIEST AND COOLEST ONLINE DEGREES

     And here’s another revelation as to what’s out there. And, if you decide to become an entrepreneur, the Internet has wonderful material – I’ve got more under Finances, Taxes, Business.

http://www.distance-education.org/Articles/
9-of-the-Craziest-and-Coolest-Online-Degrees-You-Can-Start-Now-17.html

     Of course, many schools that offer online courses do not offer online degrees: they require some actual physical attendance on campus. Below is a listing of schools that do grant degrees. Some schools are well known; others are not.

http://www.allyoucanread.com/ads/online_degrees.asp

ONLINE GRADUATE DEGREES

     Now you can get an online GRADUATE degree, as well as an undergraduate degree. We’re not speaking of universities a person never heard of. Some top graduate schools are now offering online programs. For information that will open up your world, explore:

http://distance.gradschools.com/

     Pick your major and see what’s on offer. If you know a particular school has an excellent reputation, check with that school to find out how much it will allow you to do online if you are accepted as a student. You may be pleasantly surprised.

     For a generalized listing of undergraduate and graduate courses, try

http://www.directoryofschools.com/

     These people are more likely to feature schools you never heard of, but they’ve also got some good ones. (And maybe one you never heard of actually is a good one.) The site says that, "Directory of Schools partners with accredited institutions to help you meet all your degree and continuing education needs online."

http://www.directoryofschools.com/

     To make sure that the program you select is properly accredited and not a “degree mill,” go to:

http://chea.org/

     CHEA is where the scholastic rubber meets the road.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING ONLINE

     You can take these vocational training programs online:

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/career-training/vocational-training.htm

     If you want a career that require hands-on training, such as that of pilot, diver, or chef, here's a listing of trade schools:

http://www.trade-schools.net/

     To decide on the best school, I'd suggest you put into the Google search box something like "accreditation carpenter training." Or "accreditation dental assistant training." After prowling around the listings that come up, you should have a better idea about which programs offer high quality, accredited education.