Online schools that are diploma mills take advantage of students.
Online educational offerings continue to grow at a rapid pace, and according to "U.S. News & World Report," at the start of the 2008--2009 school year, more than one in four college students were taking at least one course on the Web. Online schools vary from institutions more than a century old that have online programs to Internet-only institutions. Potential students can avoid getting ripped off by unscrupulous diploma mills by paying attention to certain characteristics of online schools.
Accreditation
Make sure that online colleges you are considering are accredited. Attending an accredited online college lets employers and graduate schools know that your education meets certain standards of quality. A database of regional and professional accrediting agencies and member schools is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education, where you can double-check a school's claims of accreditation by a reputable agency.
Reputation and Background
There are many online schools with good reputations and well-regarded programs, but also many diploma mills with shoddy financial policies and substandard academic offerings. Vicky Phillips has been researching, rating and ranking online college-degree programs since 1989 and now serves as chief analyst at GetEducated.com.
Academic Standards
Diploma mills will claim that you can receive a degree in a very short period of time. Cross-reference course offerings and degree requirements of online schools with those of brick-and-mortar schools. Also, if a school tells you your degree can be earned after you pay a flat fee, be wary. Universities and colleges generally charge for classes by the credit hour, not in lump sums.
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