R.J.
Step 1) Fill out a FAFSA (unless you plan on paying 100% out of pocket and not applying for any scholarships, grants, or loans). http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Getting your FAFSA in is the first step for financial aid, and financial aid typically has to be applied for 9mo before your first quarter (deadlines for financial aid paperwork to be "in" in most schools is February or March the preceding year.
Step 2)Figure out which school you're going to go to.
It's almost impossible to be accepted into a university if you've been out of highschool for more than a year or two and don't have any college credits. What most people do is a "transfer degree". You go to community college and get you AAS, AA, or AS *transfer* degree, and then do the 2nd half at university entering as a junior. Your diploma, upon graduating from university is identical to students who attended the university since freshmen.
NO online schools are NOT as good accredited state and private schools. They may be someday, but in *most* places/fields they're still regarded with suspicion to out and out "joke" degrees. Like the difference between a priest and someone who was certified online as a minister. Both can marry people. But they are *regarded* very very differently. SAME TOKEN, it's a LOT harder (to out and out impossible) to get outside funding (grants, scholarships, and govt subsidized loans) for online schools. HOWEVER every university, and the majority of community colleges offer online classes as well. It's possible to get the vast majority of your classes done online... in many schools the only ones one cannot take online are the lab science and art classes.
Step 3) Go to the school websites for information on application, registration, degree programs, and financial aid.... apply & register. Don't forget the "womens & minorities" & "family services" department. They often have programs and funds earmarked for students with children that the financial aid office won't know about / that are applied for seperately.
Step 4) Meet with an advisor through the college to discuss degree path, class info, etc.
My strong recommendation about your first quarter is this:
- Take one class (an interesting one) only to get back into the feel of things
- Have it be in person
- DON'T take a remedial class your first 1 or 2 quarters (math is the most notorious... and classes listed BELOW the 100 level are wham/bam/thankyouma'am knock your socks off fast/hard. Math 98/99 has brought more people to tears than I can count.)
- DO take a writing course your first year. College level writing is persnickety, so much so that professors usually outline *exactly* what they want in a paper and do a mini-crash course in paper writing in the beginning of every class that requires papers because they get reeeeeeally sick of badly written papers. DO take advantage of any professor who has an "early" date to turn in your paper to get revision notes (they will be ruthless), as well as the writing lab.
But most importantly, 1 class your first quarter, and have it be a "fun" one, and do it on campus.
That way you have time to acclimate (I only EVER do 2 classes a quarter, even though 3 is a full load... because I can't balance school/home life with more than 2 classes, but some parents can) AND you start to develop a relationship with the school / can learn their bureaucracy (you will never be more often in the office than your first and second quarters). PLUS if you have prereq classes, you'll get notes from other students on which professors are "good" ones, and which to avoid.
Personally, online classes aren't my favorite. Arranging childcare for the 4-10 hours a week I needed for school let me actually talk with grownups/ have some me time/ sanity time. Online classes needed the same amount of time, but I didn't get a break. Since only 2 of the 25 odd classes I've taken had required attendance, I could miss class as needed, when needed... so online classes were in no way more flexible. I still needed to arrange childcare for them, just not on a regular basis... so we never got into a good groove/routine. Most in person classes are 1-2 hours twice a week. Online classes vary between paper mill classes (you have x number of papers to turn in... no teacher contact aside from assigning textbooks and papers) and "chat" classes where you have to be "chatting" in an online forum either on a daily basis or on a biweekly basis in addition to the papers and assignments. My personal preference is to do that in person... but I have friends who only step on campus in order to pick up their financial aid check.