If you’re thinking about 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 sucked into one of the scams or diploma mills instead of one of the legitimate degree programs. online degree, whether you want a bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, associate or undergraduate degree, business, nursing, education or psychology degree or any other.
First of all, what is a grade mill? A degree mill is a fake college or university that sells college or university diplomas. In reality, you are only selling a piece of paper, not a document that verifies your educational experience at an accredited institution.
Earning a college or university degree is one of the most expensive items people acquire in their lifetime. Many jobs or careers require a college degree. Because of this, the demand for university degrees is high and there are companies that do great business selling these diplomas, especially on the Internet.
How can you tell if the online college or university is fake, scam or fraud?
First make sure that the online college or university is accredited. This is one of the easiest things to check. If the college or university is accredited, you still need to check and make sure it is accredited by an agency recognized by the CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation).
You will find that most online diploma mills are accredited. The chilling fact is that when you check the accreditation, they seem legit enough. It seems that they are accredited. However, the initial fact is that they have created these fake agencies themselves. Agency names may seem legitimate and most people would assume that accreditation means just that. But this is not so.
The first thing you should do is contact the CHEA and find out if the accrediting agency is listed on their accrediting list of college and university accrediting agencies, both on campus and online. You’ll also need to do this for any online degree programs or online degree courses you’re considering.
If the admission criteria is based solely on having a credit card or previous academic records, transcripts, or GPAs and test scores are not required for the online degree, then be suspicious.
If you only need to fax a resume and acceptance is based on a review of your resume, be wary.
Many colleges offer credit for work experience, but evaluating work experience for college credit is no easy matter.
There is no online university degree program or distance education university in the US that awards an online master’s or doctoral degree based solely on professional experience review. But there are some undergraduate programs that will. Typically, they will limit credit for experience to a maximum of ten courses or approximately 30 semester credits, which is approximately one year’s worth of a four-year degree.
If you’re guaranteed a diploma within 30 days of applying, 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 like $2,500 for an undergraduate degree or maybe $3,500 for a graduate degree. Universities do not charge flat fees for degrees. Colleges and universities charge by credit or by course tuition and various fees.
Check with the Better Business Bureau online. See if they have any complaints on file about online title mills or online title programs or courses and, in particular, any that come to mind.
If the diploma mill representative tells you that online universities cannot be accredited by CHEA-recognized agencies, this is not true. Many accredited universities have online degree programs.
Find out if the online degree program has a list of professors who have attended schools other than those listed by the fake accredited agencies.
Be careful if online degrees are offered from another country, but only for US residents.
Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to easily determine if the online degree school or distance learning program is a diploma mill, a scam, or not. Be careful. Many do a lot of advertising and sound and look believable. 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.