Students, take heed, if you are enrolled in an
unaccredited school then your degree, once awarded, will not be
legitimate and will not be recognized by most, if not all, employers-
nor will you be able to transfer your credits to an accredited college
should you decide to further your education.
Proper college
accreditation is necessary prior to earning your college degree.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands the importance of college
accreditation. Before you make the decision to apply to any traditional
college, university, or online school- you should make sure that the
school is accredited first and foremost. Now don’t just
assume that a particular school is accredited nor take someone’s word
for it, but instead you should investigate to find out whether or not
the school that you’re interested in is indeed accredited by a reputable
accreditation agency, if you’re in doubt. It has been
discovered that some online schools are not accredited but are scams.
The programs are designed for potential students who want to hastily
compete their education and earn a degree quickly. But
unfortunately, the administrators of these school programs are more
interested in receiving your money but may not necessarily provide you
with a quality education or with a legitimate diploma. Take heed that
you may need to verify the legality of some traditional schools as well. Haste makes waste! Take your time and choose an accredited school that is most suitable for you. Certainly,
not all online schools are scams but you should find out which ones are
legitimate before you apply. For example, an accredited college or
university may give students the option of taking some classes online
and even completing their degree online.
What is accreditation?
A college should be able to prove that it meets certain academic standards required by National Education Association and Regional agencies. Basically there is a comprehensive qualification process that every school must go through before they can receive accreditation. Accrediting agencies reviews the learning programs of a school to determine if the curriculum adequately prepares students for a job in their chosen field. Accreditation agencies set high standards in which schools must measure up to. These organizations accredit public, private, and online schools if they are in compliance with the standard requirements.
Why is accreditation necessary?
It’s imperative that all community colleges, universities, and online schools meet the minimum government-sanctioned standards for higher learning. These governmental agencies require that these schools adequately teach and prepare students for careers in their field of interest. Accrediting agencies will mainly ensure that students receive a quality education. Employees will be able to receive tuition reimbursements from their employers, and receive financial aid if needed when their school is accredited. Students will be able to transfer credits to other accredited colleges if they desire. Accreditation agencies will ensure that quality instructors are in place as well. Without proper accreditation, students may not receive quality education nor would they be eligible for financial aid, will not be able to transfer credits to another school, and may not receive tuition reimbursement from their employer. In other words, without proper accreditation a school may not be legitimate. And if the school is not legit then neither is your diploma. Even if the school insists that they are waiting to become accredited, you should not take any chances.
How to find out if a school is accredited?
To determine whether or not a school is accredited you can verify this with the Institution Accreditation Database or the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. These sites maintain a database that lists all traditional colleges and online schools that have been accredited by reputable organizations. You can also contact National Education Association to obtain a list of accredited community colleges, universities and online schools. You want to also make sure that the accrediting agency is legitimate as well. Yes, there are fraudulent accrediting agencies in existence that support fraudulent schools. Find out if your school’s agency in on the list of legitimate agencies! You can verify if an agency is legit through the Council for Higher Education (CHEA) that maintains a list of legitimate accreditation agencies, or the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). You will also find out those agencies that are counterfeit.
Is your school accredited?
Concluding, if you are enrolled in an unaccredited school then your degree, once awarded, will not be legitimate and will not be recognized by most, if not all, employers- nor will you be able to transfer your credits to an accredited college should you decide to further your education. Keep in mind that degrees awarded via degree mills are not legit! Even if you are able to get a job with a counterfeit degree…once your employer discovers that your degree is not real, you could be terminated immediately. How humiliating! As your degree is merely a worthless piece of paper with absolutely no value whatsoever, you may never find suitable work in your field. Bear in mind that unaccredited schools do not uphold high academic standards, as do accredited schools. So…if you have not enrolled in a college yet, before you waste your time and money, find out if the school is officially accredited by a reputable agency.
Tips:
*apply for FAFSA online to see if you qualify for financial aid at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
*apply for your FAFSA in January when there are more funds available
A college should be able to prove that it meets certain academic standards required by National Education Association and Regional agencies. Basically there is a comprehensive qualification process that every school must go through before they can receive accreditation. Accrediting agencies reviews the learning programs of a school to determine if the curriculum adequately prepares students for a job in their chosen field. Accreditation agencies set high standards in which schools must measure up to. These organizations accredit public, private, and online schools if they are in compliance with the standard requirements.
Why is accreditation necessary?
It’s imperative that all community colleges, universities, and online schools meet the minimum government-sanctioned standards for higher learning. These governmental agencies require that these schools adequately teach and prepare students for careers in their field of interest. Accrediting agencies will mainly ensure that students receive a quality education. Employees will be able to receive tuition reimbursements from their employers, and receive financial aid if needed when their school is accredited. Students will be able to transfer credits to other accredited colleges if they desire. Accreditation agencies will ensure that quality instructors are in place as well. Without proper accreditation, students may not receive quality education nor would they be eligible for financial aid, will not be able to transfer credits to another school, and may not receive tuition reimbursement from their employer. In other words, without proper accreditation a school may not be legitimate. And if the school is not legit then neither is your diploma. Even if the school insists that they are waiting to become accredited, you should not take any chances.
How to find out if a school is accredited?
To determine whether or not a school is accredited you can verify this with the Institution Accreditation Database or the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. These sites maintain a database that lists all traditional colleges and online schools that have been accredited by reputable organizations. You can also contact National Education Association to obtain a list of accredited community colleges, universities and online schools. You want to also make sure that the accrediting agency is legitimate as well. Yes, there are fraudulent accrediting agencies in existence that support fraudulent schools. Find out if your school’s agency in on the list of legitimate agencies! You can verify if an agency is legit through the Council for Higher Education (CHEA) that maintains a list of legitimate accreditation agencies, or the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). You will also find out those agencies that are counterfeit.
Is your school accredited?
Concluding, if you are enrolled in an unaccredited school then your degree, once awarded, will not be legitimate and will not be recognized by most, if not all, employers- nor will you be able to transfer your credits to an accredited college should you decide to further your education. Keep in mind that degrees awarded via degree mills are not legit! Even if you are able to get a job with a counterfeit degree…once your employer discovers that your degree is not real, you could be terminated immediately. How humiliating! As your degree is merely a worthless piece of paper with absolutely no value whatsoever, you may never find suitable work in your field. Bear in mind that unaccredited schools do not uphold high academic standards, as do accredited schools. So…if you have not enrolled in a college yet, before you waste your time and money, find out if the school is officially accredited by a reputable agency.
Tips:
*apply for FAFSA online to see if you qualify for financial aid at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
*apply for your FAFSA in January when there are more funds available
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