As internet connections and personal computers become more affordable, distance learning is able to reach more people. This is particularly important for people who would otherwise have limited access to schooling. The United States Department of Agriculture recently gave Utah State Valley College a $900,000 grant to fund distance learning in the Navajo Nation.
Here's a blurb about the distance learning grant from the Daily Herald:

"The funding comes more than a year after UVSC partnered with the state of Utah, the Navajo Nation and tech-certification company Certiport to provide a way for Navajo youth to gain computer and career skills as well as a way to earn high school diplomas. The school also provides wellness education for all residents at the centers.

The classes are held in digital learning centers at the 110 chapter houses, or community centers, on the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of three states: Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. The digital learning centers are groups of computers with wireless Internet access."

Sometimes we think about distance learning as a choice for the upper-class (i.e. the business professional who can afford $80,000 for the convenience of learning at home). In reality, it online courses have the potential to help anyone who could use a little training or guidance.