Diploma mills are universities who sell pieces of paper called diplomas that are worthless. The degrees mean nothing. The so called schools prey on people’s lack of knowledge and confusion about accreditation.

One favorite trick that works time and again for diploma mills that offer these bogus programs is to advertise as being "nationally accredited" or "accredited worldwide." The trick here is that are indeed "accredited" -- but by unrecognized agencies -- bogus accrediting agencies that they themselves have created.

You Can Protect Yourself

If you’re considering an online university, ask the following questions before you enroll:

1. Are Your Accredited?

2. If So, By Whom?

Is the accrediting agency a recognized agency? Accreditation by an unrecognized agency is a common ploy used by online diploma mills. In the United States, the Council for Higher Education is the agency that oversees legitimate accrediting agencies. CHEA maintains a directory of recognized accrediting agencies online, http://www.chea.org.

3. Understand the Type of Accreditation You Need

Attend only those online colleges that hold the type of accreditation you need to advance.

4. Verify Accreditation

Some degree mills lie about their accreditation status. Take the time to verify all accreditation information. Check with CHEA or check the official printed guide to such matters: The American Council on Education’s "Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education." This guide can be found in most college libraries.
Accreditation is basically the backing of a school. What accreditation does is, it ensures the constant quality and review of the school curriculum and its faculty. However, is it enough to ask a school, are you accredited? It is not nearly enough to ask a school if they are accredited. The second and most important follow up question you can ask is, what type of accreditation do you have.

There are two types of accreditation, national and regional. National accreditation credits earned are unlikely to transfer, for example; if you went to a college under a national accreditation the degree that you earned would not hold up at a four year regionally accredited state school. The second type of accreditation is a regional accreditation; this type of accreditation is more likely to transfer.

Please keep in mind any credits that you receive form one institution and try to transfer to another is always risky. The receiving institution has to look at accreditation grades and doe the course codes match up? After all that, the receiving institution has to make sure it belongs in the degree you are seeking. All credit transfers are up to the receiving institution.

Locating Online Colleges through Search Engines

By Joyce Jackson
http://www.buzzle.com

- CareerJamaica.com