Avoid Enrolling In A Diploma Mill
Written by Admin on December 11th, 2010
There has been talk in the news lately of “diploma-mills” and for-profit schools taking advantage of the recession to recruit young people and the unemployed with dreams of high wage jobs. These schools know there is currently an even larger amount of federal aid available and people are looking and hoping for better times for themselves. Many of these schools are benefiting from cuts in state-funded and community colleges that have been forced to reduce class offerings.
So what are some steps you can take to further your education, obtain a legitimate degree and a quality education from a reputable institution? Well the obvious answer is do your homework before you pick a school. If you have done your research and are considering obtaining a degree, you might consider attending an online university and getting an accredited college degree.
The msot important thing to do is make sure you are actually enrolling in an accredited institution. Check credentials. There are fake accrediting agencies out there. Remember that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Make sure that the university or college you are looking to attend online is accredited, but more importantly make sure it is accredited by a reputable and real accrediting agency. For a list of accrediting agencies visit the U.S. Department of Education site.
Clues that the school you are interested in is a diploma mill include:
• You can choose your grade point average when you enroll.
• The institution focuses on how fast you can earn your degree. Some are as blatant as to advertise that they will send your diploma overnight.
• Their name may sound similar to a reputable university or college.
• Frequent location moves. Their contact information even be missing.
• There is little to no selection process for admissions. Write a check or provide a credit card number and you are enrolled.
• Requirements are vague, there are no class descriptions and no information on how many credit hours are required to earn the diploma.
• “Tuition” is base on the degree selected.
So what are a few things you can do to make sure that you are enrolling in a reputable online college or university?
• Check with the accrediting agency.
• Check with professional associations that regulate your industry of choice and see if the colleges program will provide you an acceptable training path.
• Call the Better Business Bureau and investigate with the Department of Education.
• Ask about the faculty and the type of education they provide.
Make sure you investigate. Don’t rush into a decision that sounds too good to be true. It probably will be and you will probably have been run through the diploma mill.
Written by Jacqueline Star, an avid fan on online advertising.
Tags: career, college, education, university
