| While there is always a lot of debate as to whether | | | | certain that they actually are in the process of |
| an online college education is as good as a traditional | | | | assessing the application for accreditation. Another |
| college education, the answer is really very simple; | | | | reason may be that there is no appropriate |
| there are good institutions that offer an online college | | | | accrediting body for a course. This is less likely but, |
| education and there are bad establishments that | | | | nevertheless, could be a valid reason and doesn't |
| offer an online college education. The same holds true | | | | necessarily indicate that the course offered is not |
| for traditional college degree programs. | | | | going to be worth taking to advance your online |
| So, just as when you are looking for an offline | | | | college education. |
| course, you need to do the same kind of your | | | | If, however, you find that the online college |
| research when you are looking for the best place to | | | | education institution has been refused accreditation, |
| pursue an online college education. | | | | then they are likely to try to tell you that |
| Of course, you normally won't care where the | | | | accreditation is not important. And that simply isn't |
| college is located unless part of the online program | | | | true. An online college education from a |
| involves off-line meetings. Usually the physical location | | | | non-accredited institution is not going to be viewed |
| just doesn't matter. However, a lot of the other | | | | as positively as one from an accredited establishment. |
| points that you would consider before attending a | | | | Choose where you go to get your online college |
| traditional offline college or university should also be | | | | education with care to ensure that you are not |
| considered before you enroll with any organization | | | | wasting your time and money by having a nearly |
| offering an online college education. | | | | worthless qualification. |
| The growth in the numbers of people pursuing an | | | | Another factor related to accreditation has to do |
| online college education has led to increased | | | | with professions requiring some form of |
| competition among institutions to attract students. | | | | governmental license or certification. You need to be |
| The best way to assess the credibility of a site | | | | certain that any college degree or other course |
| advertising that they have the best online college | | | | certification will be acceptable to whatever licensing |
| education is to ask about the accreditation of its | | | | body has authority over the profession in the location |
| courses. Accreditation means that some governing | | | | you live and work in. For example, a course which is |
| body for a particular field has endorsed the course. | | | | accepted in one state, may not be accepted by the |
| This can be extremely important in helping you to | | | | authorities in another state. |
| decide who to trust with your online college | | | | You need to think of the online college education |
| education. If a course is not accredited then you | | | | arena as a marketplace. You are the consumer and |
| need to find out why. | | | | as in any marketplace, you need to check the quality |
| There may be a number of courses that have not | | | | of the product and the 'merchant' according to the |
| yet received accreditation from an appropriate | | | | circumstances that apply to you and your area of |
| association or governing body but still offer a good | | | | study. While this may seem like a lot of work at |
| online college education. For example, the | | | | times, it is your future, your time and your money |
| establishment may have applied for accreditation but | | | | that are involved. So take a little extra time and |
| not yet been assessed. In that case you can actually | | | | verify the value of any online college program (or |
| check with the particular accrediting agency to be | | | | any type of online learning) that you are considering. |