The recent MinnPost Voices commentary “The hidden cost of convenience in higher education” gets one thing wrong: For millions of Americans, online education is not about convenience.
It is about access.
As someone who earned a degree online, I know firsthand the opportunities that flexible learning can create. I went back to school as a working professional to further my education and advance in the career I was already building. Balancing a full-time job and attending classes in person simply would not have been possible. I was fortunate to have access to an online program that allowed me to continue working while earning my degree.
That experience is not unique. While online learning helped me move forward professionally, many others rely on it to create opportunities for themselves and their families. For working adults, parents, caregivers and rural students, online education is often the difference between earning a degree and not having the opportunity at all.
Related: The hidden cost of convenience in higher education
When discussions about online learning focus on what students may be missing compared to a traditional campus experience, they often overlook a more fundamental question: What happens to students who cannot access higher education at all without online options?
For many nontraditional students, attending classes on a campus several days a week is simply not possible. These students are not choosing online education because it is easier. They are choosing it because it is available.
Too often, higher education conversations are shaped by the assumption that the traditional residential college experience is the standard against which all other models should be judged. But today’s student population is far more diverse than that model suggests. Many students are balancing jobs, families, financial obligations and responsibilities that do not disappear when they enroll in college.
The reality is that online education has expanded opportunities for populations that have historically faced barriers to higher education. Rural students can access programs that may not exist in their communities. Working adults can build new skills without leaving the workforce. Parents can pursue degrees while continuing to care for their children.
Of course online education is different from in-person learning. No serious advocate would argue otherwise. But different does not mean inferior.
Related: The Minnesota Legislature has an opportunity expand access to flexible, online education pathways that actually work for working adults.
The more important question is whether we are committed to expanding educational opportunity wherever possible. If we are, then online education should be viewed not as a shortcut, but as one of the most important tools available for making higher education more accessible.
For those of us who have benefited from online learning ourselves, the value is not measured by convenience. It is measured by opportunity.
Higher education should be focused on opening doors, not defending a single path through them.
Ericka Jones is a Minneapolis small-business owner and wellness advocate.

