| We live in a microwave culture that wants results | | | | Distance Education and Training Councilb) MSA: Middle |
| faster, easier and more conveniently. The world of | | | | States Associationc) NCASC: North Central |
| education is no different,where many courses ranging | | | | Association of Schools and Collegesd) NEASC: New |
| from Bachelors to Phd degrees are being offered | | | | England Association of Schools and Collegese) |
| online. | | | | NWCCU: Northwest Commission on College and |
| Getting a college degree requires time, effort and | | | | Universitiesf) SACS: Southwest Association of |
| money and to cut corners, you might be tempted to | | | | Colleges and Schoolsg) WASC: Western Association |
| get your degree through a mail-order or online | | | | of Schools and Colleges |
| program you see being advertised at the back of | | | | Now, how do you check their accreditation? Well, |
| some tabloid. Hold your horses! | | | | you first ask the school. |
| Indeed, online education is a viable option for those | | | | Reputable schools will have no problems at all telling |
| seeking an alternative to brick-and-mortar classes but | | | | you if they are accredited. Moreover, they will tell |
| you must do your due diligence and make sure that | | | | you in what State they are accredited and which |
| the distance learning school you are considering is | | | | educational governing bodies have accredited them. |
| accredited. | | | | To make extra sure, you can check with the |
| Accreditation ensures that the online institution is | | | | institution itself that accredited them. |
| provides quality education and not some Mickey | | | | Still, some schools will try their very best to give the |
| Mouse stuff you could learn in the third grade. | | | | appearance of being accredited. They do this by |
| In the United States, accreditation involves | | | | using such words as "authorized", "legitimate" or |
| non-governmental entities as well as governmental | | | | "pursuing accreditation." Again, don't be taken in by |
| agencies. | | | | this. Judge an online school by their association; not |
| Accrediting agencies are private educational | | | | by their buildings, address or the persuasive |
| associations of regional or national scope that | | | | advertisements they placed in the tabloids. |
| develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer | | | | 3) Another crucial thing to look out for is the online |
| evaluations to assess whether those criteria are met. | | | | school's operating license. Every institution of higher |
| Institutions and/or programs that requests an | | | | learning must have a charter for operations in a |
| agency's evaluation and subsequently meets that | | | | particular state. If they don't have one, then they are |
| agency's criteria are then accredited by that agency. | | | | operating illegally and most likely a fly-by-night. You |
| Without this seal of approval what you will get after | | | | need to steer clear of them also. |
| graduation is really a worthless piece of bond paper, | | | | 4) Applying for Federal Student Aid (FSA) Tuition |
| not a bona fide degree. | | | | Assistance can also help to validate an institution's |
| So how can you tell the unscrupulous online colleges | | | | credentials. |
| from the good ones? Here are some pointers: | | | | In order for a student to receive financial assistance |
| 1) Be wary of life experience courses. One of the | | | | to pay for his education,the school must petition the |
| warning signs of a bad school is if it claims to offer | | | | federal government and demonstrate its accreditation |
| an accredited life experience degree without any | | | | status in the first place. If the school isn't up to par, it |
| classes or examinations. These could be a BA or an | | | | won't qualify. So, if the government won't pay for |
| MBA. Don't be fooled. There is no such thing as an | | | | you to go there, chances are there is a lack of |
| accredited degree that is based purely on life | | | | accreditation. |
| experience. | | | | The bottom line is that you are going to have to |
| 2) Check the accreditation agencies that they | | | | spend time, energy and money getting your degree. |
| mention as many are usually non-existent and so | | | | To ensure that you do not waste either of those |
| getting their certificates are a waste of time and | | | | things, check out the school first. Doing this will |
| money. | | | | ensure that your school of choice is accredited |
| If they are certified by the following agencies then | | | | before you enroll will save you a ton of heartache |
| they are not solely a diploma factory.a) DETC: | | | | later. |