If you are thinking of enrolling in an online degree program, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to earn an online degree so you don’t get caught up in one of the scams or diploma mills rather than one of the legitimate programs. online degree, whether you want a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate, associate or college degree, degree in business, nursing, education or psychology or any other.
First of all, what is a grade mill? A degree factory is a fake college or university that sells college diplomas. In reality, you are selling you just a sheet of paper, not a document verifying your educational experience at an accredited institution.
Obtaining a college or university degree is one of the most expensive items people will ever acquire. Many jobs or careers require a college degree. Because of this, the demand for university degrees is high and there are companies that do a great business selling these degrees, especially on the Internet.
How can you tell if online college or university is fake, scam, or fake?
First, make sure the online college or university is accredited. This is one of the easiest things to check. If the college or university is accredited, you should still check and make sure it is accredited by an agency recognized by the CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation).
You will see that most of the online diploma mills are accredited. The chilling fact is that when you verify accreditation, they seem legitimate enough. It seems they are accredited. However, the surprising fact is that they themselves have created these fake agencies. Agency names may seem legitimate and most people would assume that accreditation means just that. But this is not so.
The first thing to do is contact the CHEA and find out if the accrediting agency is on your accreditation list of college and university accrediting agencies, both on campus and online. You will also need to do this for any online degree program or online degree course you are considering.
If admission criteria are based solely on possession of a credit card or previous academic records, or GPAs and test scores are not required for the online degree, then be suspicious.
If you just need to fax a resume and acceptance is based on a review of the resume, be wary.
Many colleges offer credit for work experience, but evaluating work experience for college credit is not an easy matter.
There is no online college degree program or distance education university in the US that awards an online master’s or doctorate based solely on a review of professional experience. But there are some undergraduate programs that will. Typically, they will limit the credit for experience to a maximum of ten courses or approximately 30 semester credits, which is roughly equivalent to one year of a four-year degree.
If you are guaranteed a diploma within 30 days of request, beware of a scam. Since title mills are only in business to sell you a piece of paper, they can offer all the guarantees and promises they want.
Be careful if you charge a lump sum such as $ 2,500 for a college degree or perhaps $ 3,500 for a graduate degree. Colleges do not charge flat fees for degrees. Colleges and universities charge by credit or by course tuition and varying fees.
Check with the Better Business Bureau online. See if they have any complaints on file about online degree factories or online degree programs or courses and, in particular, any you have in mind.
If the representative of the diploma factory tells you that online universities cannot be accredited by recognized CHEA agencies, this is not true. Many accredited universities have online degree programs.
Find out if the online degree program has a list of teachers who have attended schools other than those listed by bogus accredited agencies.
Be careful if online degrees are offered from another country, but only to US residents.
Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to easily determine if the online degree school or remote learning program is a diploma factory, a scam or not. Be careful. Many do a lot of publicity and sound and seem credible. Find out the name of the accrediting agency and check it out. Taking the time to do this can save you a lot of money, time, and energy later on.
