Cyber schools predate the Internet as distance learning began with correspondence schools. Correspondence schools were used for students of all ages since the late 1800s, but they are more widely known for schools to receive Associate's Degrees and certificates. Distance education was also delivered by two-way radio and pre-recorded television broadcasts and were used heavily for home schoolers in rural areas of Alaska and Australia. With the dawn of the Internet and availability of computers, cyber schools took the place of these outdated methods.
Some cyber schools are free and sponsored by the state. For example, the K12 program runs Virtual Academies in a handful of states such as Florida Virtual Academy (FLVA) and Georgia Virtual Academy (GAVA). These virtual academies deliver curriculum to students who are either home-bound or prefer to work from home and education equivalent to what is found at home. In many cases, the computers are provided to the students free of charge. There are also numerous other cyber schools that can cost from $2000 t0 $6000 a year that provide quality K-12 education. Cyber schools that provide college education can cost from half the price of a typical on campus experience to the same price traditional students pay.
Students who take classes online are responsible for much of the same work a typical student would have to produce. In addition, they must show interaction through the use of sending questions to the professor and communicating with other students through a message board system. This counts as classroom attendance and participation and is built into the grading system. Students must also follow a strict deadline.
Cyber schools allow students to be educated and receive advance degrees based on their own schedules instead of having to order their lives around a classroom schedule. For students who move fast or even slower than others, there is more freedom to go at their own pace (especially in lower grades). A student can also work from the comfort of their own home and avoid uncomfortable situations such as dangerous schools and excess stress to fit in.
Not all students are self-motivated enough to complete a cyber school program. They need to be in the classroom and have actual interaction with an instructor in order to thrive and learn the subject. The should be apparent after taking just one or two classes.
Not all cyber schools are created equally. It is up to the prospective student to find a good and legitimate cyber school to receive a proper diploma and credentials. While elementary and high schools do not necessarily need accreditation under homeschool laws, colleges and certificate program should be accredited for the diploma to be acceptable to current and future employers.