Legitimate Accreditation is the Key to a Legitimate Online Degree August 7, 2009
With a month to go before the fall semester starts, the national Better Business Bureau (BBB) has posted a new consumer alert about Internet diploma mills, reminding students who are thinking about enrolling in an online degree program to confirm that the school holds legitimate accreditation from an authorized U.S. accrediting agency.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a process through which postsecondary schools publicly document that their online programs meet regional or national standards for academic quality. Legitimate accreditation confirms that an online school and its programs have been evaluated by an authorized agency and meet the same academic standards as other schools earning the same accreditation. Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary, but online schools wanting their online courses to be reputable and respected always seek legitimate accreditation.
Diploma mills: Fake degrees, fake accreditation
Fake schools offering fake degrees are known as diploma mills. Diploma mills may claim that they’re accredited, but a quick check of their “accreditor” may prove the accrediting agency to be just as phony as the school’s degrees. For example, one diploma mill the BBB highlighted, Belford University, claims to be accredited by the “International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities (IAAOU)” and the “Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA).” Those sound pretty impressive, and completely legit. Except they’re not. No such accrediting organizations exist.
Distance Education and Training Council
The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) both maintain databases of authorized accrediting agencies. Regional accreditation is best (there are 6 regional accreditors), but the Distance Education and Training Council’s Accrediting Commission, a national accreditor of online programs and schools, has been recognized as an official accrediting agency by both USEd and CHEA for more than 30 years.
How to recognize a diploma mill
To help prospective students identify diploma mills, the BBB strongly recommends looking out for these clues:
- School guarantees you will receive a degree or diploma within a few days, weeks, or months.
- Degrees or diplomas are awarded based on “life experience” and require very little or no work.
- School offers deals if you sign up to receive more than one degree at a time, such as a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree for one low price.
- Addresses for administration buildings (if any) include P.O. boxes or suite numbers.
- Prices are advertised per degree or diploma instead of per credit hour (”Just $349 for an associate degree program package”)
Legitimate Accreditation Resources
Don’t get fooled by a diploma mill this fall. There are many reputable, legitimately accredited online and traditional schools offering real online programs that lead to authentic online degrees. Before enrolling in or sending money to an online school, check the following resources to confirm it has legitimate accreditation.
School Databases
;Accrediting Agency Databases
[...] working towards a legitimate college degree will require your time and hard work, there are many different program options that you can choose [...]