Kellogg Community College’s online courses are designed for highly motivated students who cannot or do not want to come to campus because of their work schedules, family needs, or other reasons. Distance learning students can control their own schedules by working with the course materials at their convenience. However, the courses are not strictly self-paced; courses begin and end on the same schedule as regular on-campus courses and assignments and exams are due on specific days.

Why Online Learning
Learning online is an adventure that will expose students to some entirely new - and not always comfortable - experiences. The ability to be flexible and remain open minded is critical to having a positive experience as students move into uncharted territory.

Students do not have to be a computer expert to take an online course. However, they must be comfortable using a computer and working on the Internet. Most importantly, students must be willing to troubleshoot and attempt to resolve any technical problems that may arise. It is a fact of life that hardware and software breaks down when they least desire or expect it. Successful online students are individuals who recognize this inevitability and plan for it.

Technical Skills Requirements
In order to do well in an online course, students should be very comfortable with the following:
* Using a Web browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator). Note that these popular browsers perform differently.  It is recommended that they be able to use Netscape and Internet Explorer because occasionally there is a need to use both browsers in order to work effectively on the Web.
* Using a standard word processor (for example, Microsoft Word, WordPad, or Word Perfect).
* Reading, composing, and sending email, including sending email with attachments.
* Understanding and respecting netiquette and email etiquette.
* Managing computer files. Students will need to save and locate files on their hard drive, floppy disks, and possibly on the Internet.
* Downloading software and installing software on computer.
* Finding information on the Web by using search engines and bookmarking useful web sites.

Charge and Fee
Online courses are charged a fee of $10 per credit hour at registration. To determine the cost of the course, simply multiply the credit hours by the credit hours. Some courses have additional fees for course-specific supplies or expenses. The amount of this extra course fee is available only in KRIS or the paper version of the schedule.

Refunds
Eligibility for a refund is determined by when students take official action to drop or withdraw from a course. Due to official policy individuals can obtain a 100% refund (minus an adjustment fee) if they drop or withdraw from the course within the first one-tenth of the class meeting time. After the refund period, a refund is not available.