Wednesday, October 28, 2009

100% Legitimate Online Colleges

Attending 100 percent legitimate online colleges offers freedom from commuting.


Colleges, universities and other schools receive an accreditation from governing agencies to award degrees and certifications that are honored throughout the world. To receive funding from government sources for students colleges online and off must meet government accreditation. A 100 percent legitimate online college has to have several different accreditations that you are allowed to review prior to attending. The bottom of the college's website should have a listing of the certifications and accreditations.


Accreditation


Online colleges may have one or more accreditations, and the most important is from the U. S. Department of Education. To qualify for government funding all universities and colleges --- online, brick-and-mortar, private, public, nonprofit and for-profit --- must receive accreditation. The agencies that provide accreditation are private agencies, overseeing the quality standards of education provided by each higher education institution. The Secretary of Education accepts or rejects the accrediting agencies. Those accepted maintain a listing of higher education institutes. The type of programs taught help to determine the accrediting agency.


Features


Online colleges offer you the option of attending one or two class every few weeks to months. The time line for completing your degree with an online college depends on the curriculum, degree sought, field of interest and your time availability. Attending online colleges requires meeting online in a discussion forum-style class room. Assignments are submitted online. The time it takes to complete a degree may be shorter online than in a standard classroom, some in as little as 18 months.


Facts


Legitimate online colleges offer students counseling services, resume assistance, writing assistance, library resources and in some instances employment placement assistance. Not all online colleges are created equal, not all offer a higher standard in education. You should explore the colleges, reviews and perhaps get student feedback if possible. If you are not satisfied with the instructor or the school you can file a complaint. However, most online schools do not offer refunds after a class has started.


Considerations


You need to do your homework, one of the best places to begin is with the U. S. Department of Education. The higher education institutions are listed with reviews and notations about their standing with the department. You can search by accrediting agency, specialized or institutional and state. You may also wish to look up a particular online college; this option is also available.

Tags: higher education, online college, accrediting agency, colleges offer, colleges online