It pays to do your research before you sign up for an online college degree program. The first thing you need to find out is whether or not the online college or university in question is accredited.
In order to be accredited, universities must apply to a recognized accrediting agency. The agency evaluates the curriculum, the academic support services, the faculty qualifications and several other factors. Unfortunately, however, there are some "online colleges" and "online Universities" that claim to be accredited when actually they are not.
The Federal Trade Commission, the US Department of Education, and numerous consumer protection groups have advised students to be on the lookout for diploma mills that make such false claims. One of the clear warning signs of a diploma mill is its willingness to offer a degree on the basis of life experience alone. Many online colleges and universities offer a few credits for experience, but they will require that you earn the great majority of your credits. Be aware that bogus accrediting agencies do exist. However, you can easily verify an institution's credentials by visiting www.ope.ed.gov, a site maintained by the US Department of Education.
You can also check out the credentials of an online university by calling a local college and asking it they accept transfer credits from the institution you are considering. If they say, "no", then it would be a waste of your time and money to complete the program.
The next thing to consider is the cost of an online college degree. Does it fit with your budget? Is financial aid available? At one time, grants, loans and scholarships were not available for distance learning education. Now, that has changed. But, it is still a good idea to compare the total cost, in credit hours, of the degree that you want to obtain. You can easily do that by looking at several different universities. Diploma mills charge a flat fee; legitimate online degree programs charge by the credit.
Once you have determined that the online university you are considering is accredited and not a diploma mill, you will need to make sure that it offers a course of study in which you are interested. The programs offered by distance learning colleges vary. In most cases, they are limited to programs that do not require lab work or hands-on training. There are, however, some colleges and universities (Phoenix is one) that offer online courses combined with traditional classroom education.
Your final considerations are your level of motivation and your personal learning style. Are they well suited to online learning? If you are not sure, test yourself by signing up for a single online class or a certificate program in your area of interest. It won't take long for you to decide whether or not online education will work for you.
In order to be accredited, universities must apply to a recognized accrediting agency. The agency evaluates the curriculum, the academic support services, the faculty qualifications and several other factors. Unfortunately, however, there are some "online colleges" and "online Universities" that claim to be accredited when actually they are not.
The Federal Trade Commission, the US Department of Education, and numerous consumer protection groups have advised students to be on the lookout for diploma mills that make such false claims. One of the clear warning signs of a diploma mill is its willingness to offer a degree on the basis of life experience alone. Many online colleges and universities offer a few credits for experience, but they will require that you earn the great majority of your credits. Be aware that bogus accrediting agencies do exist. However, you can easily verify an institution's credentials by visiting www.ope.ed.gov, a site maintained by the US Department of Education.
You can also check out the credentials of an online university by calling a local college and asking it they accept transfer credits from the institution you are considering. If they say, "no", then it would be a waste of your time and money to complete the program.
The next thing to consider is the cost of an online college degree. Does it fit with your budget? Is financial aid available? At one time, grants, loans and scholarships were not available for distance learning education. Now, that has changed. But, it is still a good idea to compare the total cost, in credit hours, of the degree that you want to obtain. You can easily do that by looking at several different universities. Diploma mills charge a flat fee; legitimate online degree programs charge by the credit.
Once you have determined that the online university you are considering is accredited and not a diploma mill, you will need to make sure that it offers a course of study in which you are interested. The programs offered by distance learning colleges vary. In most cases, they are limited to programs that do not require lab work or hands-on training. There are, however, some colleges and universities (Phoenix is one) that offer online courses combined with traditional classroom education.
Your final considerations are your level of motivation and your personal learning style. Are they well suited to online learning? If you are not sure, test yourself by signing up for a single online class or a certificate program in your area of interest. It won't take long for you to decide whether or not online education will work for you.
About the Author:
Brad Essex is an education writer whose interests include online colleges and online degree programs.
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