Are there inquities imposed upon distance graduate students?

I am working on my fourth University degree. Three of which have been online including the doctorate that I am currently working on (which includes two summer residencies). My primary reason for doing three out of my four degrees online, money, plain and simple. With three teenagers, a mortgage, a vehicle payment, and living three hours away from the nearest city, how could I afford to quit my job, move away from my family and go back to school? So online learning has worked really well for me and allowed me the opportunity to pursue course work I would not have otherwise been able to do, while still working and raising a family. I am exceedingly grateful for that. But if I had the chance I would do it face to face for the invaluable experience of being on campus immersed in the world of academia.

The other day I was informed I had received an award, I was ecstatic! My first every in 8 years as a distance student. I was surprised and honored. So I looked at other opportunities for awards, I had kind of looked casually before but I took a thorough look this time. To my disappointment few awards, scholarships, bursaries etc. are available to working distance graduate students. The reason we make too much money, regardless of our bills, our families, our obligations we pull a pay cheque, so we are ineligible for most awards.

Lets look at the reality, as a distance student in general I pay an enormously huge amount of money compared to on campus graduate students for the same degree, at least that seems to be the case at most Canadian Universities. However, I am denied many of the opportunities of the on campus graduate students. It is not from lack of willingness. I am willing to take on responsibilties above my course work and my day job. I am willing to teach undergraduate courses, many are online so it is feasible to do. I am willing to assist professors with their research, conducting surveys, interviews, crunching numbers etc. on my own time through vacation days etc. Why, because I believe the doctoral journey is important, and these experiences are part of that journey. However, this is all reserved for the on campus graduate students, they need the money and are given these opportunites. I don't begrudge the on campus student, I am just seeking equal treatment.

It seems to me that the Universities are more than willing to take our money but not more than willing to treat us like other graduate students. No scholarships, no teaching or research assistantships, no dropping in on the noon hour sessions, guest presentations, graduate student workshops etc. This is not specific to my faculty, it is evident at all levels within the University I attend. For example my Graduate Student Association (which I pay fees to) is willing to take my money but offer no services to the distance student. It would be easy to include the distance student, presentations and workshops can be webcasted or Elluminated. I inquired about this and my GSA said they had not even heard of Elluminate but I was told they would look into for the future maybe. So are we some how lesser students, is our work, our willingness to learn, to participate in the University experience less important?

Plain and simple I just want to be treated equally. The biggest inequity I have found all to late is this:

I applied as an distance student because I could not meet the on campus residency requirements as outlined by the University, only to discover that a LOT of the on campus students do not either, at both Universities I have attended in my course of graduate studies. They work and live some of them in different provinces, never have had to be on residence, pay less for courses, have to take less courses and are eligible for all the doctoral awards. How does that work???? How is that fair? If I had known this I would have applied as an on campus student and kept working and living where I am at now, for a lot less money and a lot more benefits.

I simply want fairness and equality, as a working doctoral student between course work and my job sometimes I am grinding away for sometimes up to 18 hours a day. It is not an easier ride, I am required to do the same candidacy exam and defense as the on campus students . I take the same research and social theory courses PLUS a requirement for 5 other courses the on campus students are not required to take. I can understand the rationale if the on campus graduate students were actually meeting residency requirements, but if they are not, how is this fair?

I wonder if this has only been my experience or if others have had similar experiences. This is my second graduate degree, my masters was done at a different University, but my experience there was the same. I would love to hear from the other side of the debate as obviously I can only perceive this from own experience and do not necessarily understand all the rationale. So if you can enlighten me please do!

I don't know maybe there is a doctoral thesis in all of this! LOL!