Exactly, you said it yourself, you need VPN software.
Of course, since you probably need administration rights to access such software on your office computer, I'd suggest asking your company's IT guys about it. To use any networking software, you might need to have information not normally...
update the H out of Chrome so all the plug-ins are up to date.
uninstall and re-install Chrome to get rid of some plug-in that never uninstalled correctly and might be causing problems.
I don't know anything about Lincoln Academy but before going to any school you should make sure that they are accredited, that will help when you transfer. And despite what University of Pheonix says, employers don't give it nearly as much credit as a most brick and mortar Colleges and Universities.