Going to school online is a convenient educational choice for many students, especially non-traditional students, like working parents or those going back to school after a number of years in the job force. With an online degree, you’ll also spend less money on your education, since you aren’t paying for room, board, or classrooms, buildings, and other facilities. Just because online universities are more affordable, however, doesn’t mean that they are cheap. You may still need financial aid to go back to school, and grants are a great option to pay your educational debts.

Grants, unlike scholarships, are almost entirely based on financial need. You will likely have to meet certain requirements to qualify for a grant, but the overall requirement for all grants is that you actually need the money. Scholarships are given based on merit, so even people who have fat bank accounts can receive scholarships. With a grant, you come usually have to show that you need the money, as well as have a clear plan for how you’re going to spend the money. Grant applications are usually more intensive than scholarship applications.

For many years, most organizations that offered grants did not allow students pursuing an online education to apply. Online schools were once notorious for being diploma mills. In other words, they didn’t provide a quality education and instead just gave students a diploma in exchange for their “tuition.” Today, many online schools are accredited with national organizations and give students just as high quality of education as you’d find at a traditional brick and mortar school. Because of this, many grant-giving organizations have opened up their funds to all students, as long as the school attended is accredited.

One of the largest sources for grants is the government. The Federal Pell Grant is given to any student who applies, and the amount of money you’ll receive is based on your family’s current financial status. This grant provides millions of dollars to students and does not have to be repaid, but it rarely covers more than a small chuck in tuition. Other government grants are also available to fill the gap. Look to government organizations related to your field of study for grant opportunities available for students.

Outside organizations also offer grants in some cases. As an online student, do you qualify? Most of the time, yes, as long as your school or program is nationally accredited. Grants can be given based on a number of factors, but most as specific to the type of degree you’re pursuing. When in doubt, call the organization to find out if your online school qualifies.

Along with grants, you can supplement your educational funds with scholarships and student loans. If you’re already a part of the workforce, your employer may also make money available for you to get an advanced degree. Just because you go to school online doesn’t meant that you have to pay for everything out of pocket.

The Internet has revolutionized the world of education so that now you can earn a degree entirely online from the comfort of your home or office. This is perfect for busy working professionals or anyone who wants to get ahead in a career without having to go to class on a physical campus everyday. Below we have listed the best schools offering accredited online degrees.

Top 10 Online Universities Ranking

	University of Phoenix — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. The University of Phoenix is world-renowned for being the largest online university, which is one reason why we list it at the #1 spot here in our ranking. Unlike other onine universities which may only offer a handful of specialized degree programs to its students, Phoenix boasts dozens of different degrees at all levels that students can choose from.
	Kaplan University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1937 as Quest College, Kaplan University is based in Davenport, Iowa, but its online classes are open to everyone nationwide. Kaplan is organized into ten different academic schools, including Arts & Sciences, Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Health Sciences, IS & Technology, Legal Studies, Nursing, Continuing Education, and Concord Law School. As you can see, Kaplan offers degrees in numerous subjects.
	Ashford University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Ashford is a private liberal arts university based in Clinton, Iowa. But thanks to the World Wide Web, students from all over the world can access their online coursework. Originally founded in 1918 as Mount St. Clare College, Ashford has Catholic roots and today its NAIA-level athletic teams are known as The Saints, which compete in the Midwest Collegiate Conference in over a dozen sports.
	Capella University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Capella University was founded in 1991 by Stephen Shank, the former CEO of Tonka, who felt that working adults were underserved by traditional brick-and-mortar universities. While their offices are located in downtown Minneapolis, being an online university, the majority of learning takes place outside of campus and instead via the Internet. Their motto: "Knowledge is solving problems no one else can."
	Grand Canyon University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's and Master's. Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 as Grand Canyon College, an Arizona Southern Baptist school. (It reached university status in 1989.) Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, GCU is typically featured among the Top 10 online colleges as ranked by The Online Education Database (OEDb).
	Liberty University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Liberty University has the reputation of being the largest online evangelical Christian university in the nation. Founded in 1971 by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, Liberty's original name was Lynchburg Baptist College. Liberty obtained university status in 1984. In athletics, Liberty is a member of the Big South Conference for 18 sports, including football, hockey, and basketball. Academically, Liberty offers majors in over 70 subjects, including aeronautics, business, nursing, and more.
	Walden University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. For students looking for flexible and affordable online education, Walden University offers both. Courses of study available include business, criminal justice, health science, and much more.
	Westwood College Online — Degree Levels: Associate's and Bachelor's. Westwood College has over a dozen campus locations throughout the US. The Denver North campus is responsible for their online division, in which all coursework is completed entirely via the Internet. Currently, over two dozen online degree programs are available in subjects including criminal justice, business administration, fashion merchandising, and more.
	DeVry University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. DeVry has dozens of campuses nationwide and delivers its coursework via the Web to thousands of online students studying for their degrees. At DeVry University, all degree programs are career-focused to ensure that proper training is given to students pursuing a specific job or career path.
	Boston University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the oldest universities that offers online education. At Boston Online, students can study liberal arts, business, science, criminal justice, health, music, nursing, and more.
	Everest University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Formerly Florida Metropolitan University, Everest University was founded in 1969. Today, the university has campuses scattered throughout the state of Florida and offers classes online to any US citizen. Everest offers a special online learning programs for US servicemembers overseas. Military students of the university are able to complete courses in their off-duty hours at military installations in the US, overseas, and even on naval ships.
	Strayer University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. In 1892, S. Irving Strayer founded Strayer's Business College. Today, this is known as Strayer University and has over 70 non-residential campuses with more than 50,000 students nationwide. Strayer is highly regarded as producing as many students with computer science degrees as any other school in the country.
	American InterContinental University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. American InterContinental University, also known as AIU, is a private school accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. Founded in 1970 as the American College of Applied Arts, AIU today has seven campuses in the US and UK and runs its online program out of its Chicago offices. AIU offers degree programs in several subjects, including healthcare, business, education, criminal justice, and more.