Jan. 31--Between layoffs and pay freezes, more and more people are seeking a college education. The problem is that many can't quit their full-time jobs to go back to school. Others have been out of school for so long that they feel uncomfortable returning to classrooms full of 20-somethings.

For these folks, an online or distance-learning program provides a perfect remedy. They can earn a degree without driving through the cold Missouri winter to a campus. Not to mention, they can set their own hours.

Liz Jalbert, one-stop manager for the Missouri Career Center in St. Joseph, says she thinks more and more adults are flocking to online classes because of their flexibility. She says some have problems enrolling in typical brick-and-mortar classes when they need to the most.

"I know people that have tried to get in a certain class, but it's only offered in the spring in even years or something along those lines," Ms. Jalbert says.

Online programs give students the opportunity to earn an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctoral degree in several areas of interest.

But there are a few things anyone thinking about pursuing an online education should consider: How long will it take to earn an online degree? How much it will cost? Is the program legitimate and how do employers perceive online degrees?

"Traditional programs have been around for hundreds of years, but online programs are relatively new (and) employers tend to be less familiar with them," says Marc Scheer, a New York City career counselor and educational consultant.

In a survey from the online institutions Excelsior College and Zogby International, 61 percent of CEOs and small-business owners nationwide said they are familiar with online or distance-learning programs.

Furthermore, 83 percent of executives in the survey deemed an online degree just as credible as one earned through a traditional college or university.

While these numbers appear more promising than ever before, Ms. Jalbert says there are still many reasons employers could be judgmental of candidates who earned their degrees on the Internet, chiefly, the questionable security of online programs. While taking tests, students could simply copy and paste from academic Web sites and submit that as their own test answers. With no physical classroom to monitor, cheating is a looming concern for many online schools.

On this basis, Ms.