Online Schools: Wyoming

Wyoming is the least populous and 2nd least densely populated state in the United States. Tourism is a major industry in Wyoming because of its attractive mountain ranges, rivers, forests, and other natural features. Mineral extraction is another important industry in state, and it produces large quantities of coal, natural gas, crude oil, and diamonds. The University of Wyoming in Laramie is Wyoming’s only four-year college, though there are also several two-year community colleges in various locations throughout the state. Historically, Wyoming has had problems with unaccredited diploma-granting institutions, or “diploma mills,” but a 2006 law largely solved that problem.

The University of Wyoming in Laramie was the first university west of Missouri to offer students distance learning options. Today, the University of Wyoming Outreach School is among the most developed online schools in Wyoming. Many degree programs, such as business administration and some teaching programs, can be completed entirely online. Other programs require students to take at least a small selection of courses on campus. Some courses in the University of Wyoming Outreach School require occasional audio and video conferencing in addition to online instruction.

A few scholarships are available only to students participating in the University of Wyoming’s online school program. The Edelweiss fund, in particular, awards scholarships to students participating in the outreach school to help cover basic living expenses. Other forms of financial aid, such as federal aid and student loans, are also available to students taking online courses.

Various school districts in Wyoming operate online schools for K-12 students. The Wyoming e-academy of Virtual Education (WeAVE), for example, is intended to help students with educational goals or needs that cannot be met effectively by the traditional education system. All courses are taught by qualified teachers and many include a physical, face-to-face teaching component. There is no tuition charge as the school is associated with the public school system. A small selection of other online schools is also available to K-12 students in Wyoming.

The State of Wyoming has had many problems with “degree mills,” or unaccredited institutions granting degrees without offering quality education. In 2006, new laws imposed stricter standards forcing all unaccredited institutions to seek accreditation, close down, or leave the state. This applies to online degree-granting programs as well. To be eligible to operate degree-granting online schools, Wyoming law now states that institutions must receive accreditation from the a governing board in the state.

• Colleges & Universities