In an economic downturn, any chance to save money is welcome, and that includes higher education. But are online classes actually cheaper? Yes, but not quite in the way you might think.

Some online courses are markedly cheaper than their physical counterparts, as the U.S. News & World Report found with Texas’ Lamar University. However, some schools don’t show any real difference in price points between online courses or those taken at a physical location. Kaplan University, for instance, charges online students and those attending traditional classes the same amount per credit, and actually bills online students an $85 technology fee. So does that mean it would be cheaper to avoid online education?

Not necessarily. Online education is praised for its convenience, but it’s also important for the ways in which it can save you money compared with a more traditional college or university experience. Even if tuition is comparable, there are several paths to take to save money with online classes.

First, there’s room and board. Many universities brag about tuition rates but aren’t as upfront about the costs of living on campus. But online education lets you eliminate those costs entirely. There are no required dormitory or cafeteria fees, or any of the other built-in housing costs that can inflate the price of attending a traditional university.

There’s also the matter of travel, not just to and from a campus but from your hometown to some other city. Many people who attend traditional universities relocate to do so, whether it’s across the state or across the country, but the ease of distance learning and online classes means that you can access the school right away, without having to move to wherever it might be. This is a vital component that keeps the costs of online classes down: You don’t have to move a thing, just log in.

Finally, the flexibility of online education allows for greater student control over the balance between work and school. Many programs only require that students log in a certain number of times per week but let the students decide when that is, which means the student has a greater say in when they study and when they might work at a part-time or full-time job. The ability to work more while still receiving an education is a great way to defray the costs of online classes and help tip the scales in their favor instead of studying at a traditional university.

With the right planning, online classes are a sure financial bet.