Is OnlineDegree.com Really Free?

Yep! It’s free to take as many courses as you want. Our goal is to make college more affordable and approachable for the millions of people that want to go to school. We’ve made sure it’s accessible to everyone regardless of their financial situation. Enroll in as many as you’d like.

How is this tuition discount possible with UMUC?

UMUC looks for innovative ways to help students finish their degree faster and for less. Due to OnlineDegree.com’s position as a non-collegiate alternative program with academic rigor equivalent to college credit, they’ve agreed to partner with us to provide a unique bridge for students to get back to school.  All of the 15 college-level courses offered at OnlineDegree.com have been reviewed and verified by UMUC. The courses provide 45 units of available credit that could be applied towards your degree…tuition-free. In addition to credit, they’ve also offered all OnlineDegree.com enrolled students a 25% tuition discount for out-of-state residents regardless of any courses you complete or apply towards your degree. You can get the discount when you enroll at UMUC by mentioning you are an OnlineDegree.com student, or via a form when you’re logged in at OnlineDegree.com.

What are the terms or limitations for UMUC’s tuition discount?

When you register for free with OnlineDegree.com, out-of-state residents get a 25% tuition discount except for the following (i) UMUC’s special tuition graduate programs, which include the MBA, Cybersecurity, Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigations, Data Analytics, executive, and doctoral programs, (ii)  Maryland residents who will pay the applicable in-state rate; (iii) veterans and meet the criteria specified by Maryland law will be the applicable in-state rate; and (iv) Active-Duty Military, Spouses, and Dependents will be their applicable rate.

Which OnlineDegree.com courses could apply towards my degree at UMUC?

You can view the course mapping here. Although 15 courses at OnlineDegree.com can be accepted for a total of 45 credits, your particular major/degree will dictate which courses can specifically be applied though. Check with an enrollment advisor at UMUC.  You can also view our general Transfer Guide for more details.

Are There Prerequisities or Things I Need To Learn Before Enrolling?

No! All of our college-level courses are introductory and meant for beginners without backgrounds in the particular subjects. You don’t need to prepare, or take anything before.  As long as you have your GED/High School Diploma, you can just register, choose the courses you want, and begin learning.

Are There Any 3rd-Party Fees?

It’s completely free to take all of the courses, the textbooks, and generate a transcript. However, when you take a final exam, a 3rd-party online proctoring service, RPNow, needs to monitor you to make sure there’s no cheating. It’s standard practice for all online testing at the college-level. We’ve negotiated the fee on your behalf, and they will only charge you a small fee of $9. OnlineDegree.com though doesnt charge you anything for taking as many courses as you’d like…no fees or tuition, ever, period.

Can I combine received units from OnlineDegree.com with other units when I enroll at UMUC?

Check with an enrollment advisor at UMUC. OnlineDegree.com has 45 units available through it’s courses that could apply, and UMUC allows up to 90 transfer credits toward your UMUC degree.  You’ll want to inquire with a UMUC advisor though to confirm which courses could best apply to your specific major or degree of interest, and how they combine with other units you’ve earned (e.g. community college credits, prior learning assessments, etc.)

Are There Schedules or Set Class Times for OnlineDegree.com Courses?

Nope! No class schedules, and no fixed times. Our courses are available anytime, and completely self-paced. We understand how busy adults are, and we’ve created our system to accomodate anyone’s schedule. Our system always keeps track of your progress…grab a sandwich, go see a movie, etc. When you come back online, you’ll pick up right where you left off.

Does This Guarantee I’ll Be Accepted at an Eventual University?

No, no one can guarantee your acceptance other than the actual university where you’re applying. They always have the final decision. Each university has different guidelines and requirements on how they admit students into their school. This can include GPA, SAT/ACT scores, extracurricular activities you’ve participated in, etc. At many universities, transfer students have higher rates of acceptance vs freshman enrolling out of high school. That means earning units at a community college or through OnlineDegree.com can potentially increase your odds of getting into the school you want. Ask the eventual university where you’re applying to find out what things they take into consideration.

Does OnlineDegree.com “grant credit”?

Remember that OnlineDegree.com is not a university and does not and cannot “grant credit” – the option to grant credit always belongs to the college or university and will further depend on whether a course fits into your degree program. Our goal at OnlineDegree.com is to help you receive credit at a university by taking our free college-level courses. We want to save students time and money to get their degree. To do that, we work with a number of participating accredited universities who’ve agreed to recognize our courses directly, and our courses have also earned a recommendation for credit from the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) who’s recommendations are considered by over 1400 universities and colleges nationwide in their network.

What If I’m an International Student Outside of the United States?

Sorry, we’re not yet able to accept international students living outside of the United States.  Currently, OnlineDegree.com is available to U.S. citizens (living in or outside of the U.S.), or international students living within the United States.

We’re working on it, and we’ll update the site soon when things have changed.