Before you enroll in an online degree program, there are some things you should check out. First, you should make sure the school you choose is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency that is sanctioned by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education. If you don't choose a properly accredited school, you can be in for some heartache down the line.
Non-accredited schools can't participate in government student loan or assistance programs, and that means you won't get help with tuition if you need it. It also means that employers and other educational institutions may not recognize your degree after you've earned it, so all your hard work may count for nothing in the real world.
Most unaccredited schools don't offer the services that a recognized university offers, like financial aid, tutoring, counseling, and all the other services you'd expect at a traditional university. A lot of these schools offer quick degrees that really aren't legitimate, so you have to be careful when you choose a school you're not familiar with.
Finally, credits earned at an unaccredited institution aren't transferable to legitimate colleges and universities, so you have to earn credits from an accredited school if you plan to transfer credits later. Lots of times people don't find this out until they try to transfer credits later in life, and that's not the time to learn your study was in vain.
It's not hard to find out whether an online degree program is really what it says it is. In the U.S, there are six regional accrediting agencies that approve schools. They are the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), accredits many legitimate online degree programs. If your school isn't accredited by one of these agencies, it's simply not a recognized school, and you shouldn't get your degree there.
Getting an online degree is quick, efficient, and easy for just about anyone to accomplish, but make sure your school is legit, your degree program is accredited, and your money and study won't go down the drain. When you're done, you'll have a degree that will take you places and further your career, not a worthless piece of paper from an unaccredited school.
Non-accredited schools can't participate in government student loan or assistance programs, and that means you won't get help with tuition if you need it. It also means that employers and other educational institutions may not recognize your degree after you've earned it, so all your hard work may count for nothing in the real world.
Most unaccredited schools don't offer the services that a recognized university offers, like financial aid, tutoring, counseling, and all the other services you'd expect at a traditional university. A lot of these schools offer quick degrees that really aren't legitimate, so you have to be careful when you choose a school you're not familiar with.
Finally, credits earned at an unaccredited institution aren't transferable to legitimate colleges and universities, so you have to earn credits from an accredited school if you plan to transfer credits later. Lots of times people don't find this out until they try to transfer credits later in life, and that's not the time to learn your study was in vain.
It's not hard to find out whether an online degree program is really what it says it is. In the U.S, there are six regional accrediting agencies that approve schools. They are the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), accredits many legitimate online degree programs. If your school isn't accredited by one of these agencies, it's simply not a recognized school, and you shouldn't get your degree there.
Getting an online degree is quick, efficient, and easy for just about anyone to accomplish, but make sure your school is legit, your degree program is accredited, and your money and study won't go down the drain. When you're done, you'll have a degree that will take you places and further your career, not a worthless piece of paper from an unaccredited school.
About the Author:
Sherril Steele-Carlin is a staff writer for an organization which publishes websites on online degree programs and online colleges for adults.
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