Stimulus funds set to boost online education in Tennessee

Stimulus funds set to boost online education in Tennessee

Students in Tennessee will have greater access to online courses as state districts are set to receive $6 million in stimulus funds in order to boost distance education opportunities.

According to Tennessean.com, a news website, state officials are predicting that as many as 20,000 additional students will be able to take online courses as funding for that purpose will expand over the next two years. During the 2008-09 academic year only 2,250 students did so.

"Even the U.S. Department of Education is talking about online education now, when they haven't in the past," said Jamie Sachs, associate director of education tech cooperative at Southern Regional Education Board.

He added, "Students today expect to be taught in a different way. They expect more options. They want to be able to access it anytime, anyplace. I think states need to address that."

Taking online courses in high school - which is a graduation requirement in some states, including Alabama - may prepare students to enter online degree programs. Many experts stress that distance education is a cost-effective and flexible option that allows individuals to obtain quality education at their own pace.