Red Flags When Searching for an Online Degree Program

When looking for an online degree program, it is easy to be persuaded to go with the first institution that calls. In the rapidly growing market of online education, there are numerous “diploma mills” that will scam students into essentially buying a degree online. Oftentimes, these institutions will award degrees based off of “life experience.” This essentially means that though you have not done any official classroom learning and may have no actual experience in the field of your desired degree, you can obtain credits through having worked and lived. More often than not, with diploma mills, you are buying a degree which is “earned” simply through living. These diploma mills have inferior curricula and frequently don’t involve any work at all. The degrees they issue also hold next to no weight in the increasingly competitive job market.

Here are a few red flag statements to look for when weeding through online universities:

1. We are accredited through the International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities (IAAOU), Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA), or any other “accrediting bodies” not recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Accreditation is important for your degree to be taken seriously in the work force. Regional Accreditation is the highest ranking accreditation. A national accreditation is also valid and is oftentimes associated with vocational schools. For a full list of accrediting bodies and descriptions, go to http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html or http://chea.org/default.asp

2. We do not accept Title IV funding.

Most students cannot afford to pay out of pocket for school so it is important that a school can accept Title IV funding (financial aid). Though it is not always the case, lack Title IV funding may be an indication that the school is not accredited by a recognized body and may mean that the degrees granted are not reputable.

3. You can receive your degree within days.

Diploma mills will often require only require that you submit records of your life experience, or a short quiz or questionnaire in order for your degree to be sent to you for a fee.

4. There are no admissions requirements

For many programs, essays or prerequisite credits are necessary for admittance. Some legitimate programs will simply use their admissions counselors to qualify students if none of these criterion exist, it is not a good sign.

5. We have a flat rate for our degrees and/or shipping is free.

Remember the old truism; you get what you paid for. If a degree is not based on tuition per class, term, or credits, you are most likely paying for a piece of paper rather than an education. If you are just buying a degree then you will not reap the educational benefits or expose yourself to the career opportunities that come with earning an accredited degree.

6. We provide education verification for employers.

If an employer doubts the legitimacy of a degree, there are other methods of verification such as the Department of Education. Also, accredited institutions show their credentials on the provided diploma, so the legitimacy should never be in question.

With these tips, along with any of your own, you should be able to weed out unsuitable schools to find a program that is interesting, reputable, and suits you. Once you have compared a few, you should be able to make a well-informed decision about continuing your degree online.

Contributed by Caroline Flannery