What are the best online degree programs for the military?

I graduated from Fort Hays State University's online degree program. They are a big supporter of the military and their program is geared toward military members and their family. I even drove to Kansas from New York and then LA for both my wife's graduation and then mine. We were welcomed with open arms. The professors are wonderful and the classes were flexable enough to work around my schedule which included TDY trips and a PCS move. I plan to pursue my Master's Degree from there as well. I would recommend FHSU to anyone.

I attended an online bachelors program from the Savannah College of Art and Design as a way to get professional training paid for by the GI Bill. It was not a good experience. Much like the people you have heard from, the teachers were unengaged and unresponsive. I have been told that some of them took the extra classes so they could increase their income. But it did not decrease their regular courseload, so they thought of those as throw-away classes and didn't really participate. I also think the professors were paid less than they are for in-person classes. Funny, since tuition for students is the same either way. I did not get the personal attention that I expected for the amount of money the GI Bill funneled them. In the end, it ended up being mostly independent study, and I wasted a lot of time on electives that I didn't need (like aesthetics and history). I should have taken some of the high-quality online courses offered from highly qualified and engaged professionals instead, and paid out of pocket. Then I could have saved my GI Bill for a masters instead. I don't think the diploma is worth the paper it's printed on and I usually leave it off my resume.

I'd also offer this advice for anyone looking at online programs: They cannot replace the personal interaction and engagement you get from being in a classroom with peers and professors. I am not talking just about making friends, but about peers who push each other to be better, networking, and facilities and services offered by schools. Sometimes you have no choice but to do an online class, but if it's not out of necessity, go to the school and sit in the classroom. You'll get much more for your money and come out with contacts that might actually help you get a job.

I finished my BS with the University of Phoenix (U of P) in March of 2013. Even though I used the VA Chapter 31 rehabilitation program to pay for the degree I did not find it worth the money. U of P is an accredited learning institution, but it seems to carry less weight with employers than other degree programs given by big name learning institutions.

Were professors fully engaged in the curriculum? This seemed to very from class to class and often (personal opinion) had something to do with the professors “other job” getting in the way. Most online instructors that I had throughout the process also worked full time elsewhere. Only a few were fully dedicated to online teaching. Yet, for the most part they were responsive.

Did some of my classmates come across as idiots? Of course, but then I’m sure there were a few that thought I was an idiot. It’s important to remember when taking online classes that each student comes from a different upbringing, different state, and are many different ages. I was 50 years of age when I started, so I was never the youngest, but I also was not always the oldest.

Were the classes challenging? Yes, and No! It depended on the subject, and the extent of already obtained knowledge acquired throughout my life experience. Some could not get past the math, and were forced to drop out as a result.

If I were still active duty would I recommend U of P to my fellow Marines? No. I wish I had checked into other schools before starting down the path to higher education. My soon to be son-in-law is attending online classes with Arizona State. Per frequent discussion the classes require a bit more effort than I had to exert at the U of P. I’m able to put full stock in his opinion because he did his first two years with the U of P before transferring to Arizona State. I’m not saying U of P was a bad experience, but rather that its not the biggest bang for the buck.

I used Thomas Edison State College online degree program and earned my BA in organizational Leadership. Easy and friendly program. Great staff and well educated professors.

Arizona State University, great online program, very supportive and helpful and the degree is simply an ASU degree, same as an on campus student.

I've only done an online course during my Bachelor's courses, and I agree with some folks on this forum.
Online is ok, but it will never replicate realtime discussion and critical thought.
I would equate an online curriculum to rifle qualification, where getting rated as expert means choosing between True or False. AND this is just my personal opinion. I think that the classroom setting is more value added, especially in this day and age where one must learn to adapt to interaction with different personality types and varying degrees of perspective.
Online stuff...yah...not so much if you are an introvert and finding yourself at odds with the S3 or the DCO. Person to person is the way to go.

I never took an online master's course (I know I couldn't hack it. My hat's off to you!), but I did take a master's certification course from Notre Dame via University Alliance. I worked my butt off in that program. Other programs through UA, not so much. I think it all depends on your objectives. Do you simply want the credential or do you want to actually learn something? I'm sure it's the latter. Good luck!

Liberty University Online. I have done multiple distance learning programs in the past. This is by far the best one I have experienced.

I finished an Associates Degree in Business Administration thru Thomas Edison. I was 4 classes shy of the Bachelors degree, but I could not understand why writing my career resume as a term paper was a class pre-requisite so I just stopped taking the classes. I did not want to waste anymore of TA on such a program.

We discussed this in one of my classes at Norwich University. Another student posted this infographic from Drexel University which echoes what many have already said and I believe rings true. It is attached but impossible to read. The link for the infographic is: http://www.drexel.com/online-degree-vs-traditional-degree.