5 Signs Your Online College Might Be a Diploma Mill

So you want to attend class from the comfort of your bedroom or home office, do you? I don’t blame you. When I was in college I would have given anything to trade my 8 am American Literature course for an online education option. I mean seriously; on a cold morning, who wouldn’t rather study Faulkner while wrapped in a leopard-print microfiber blanket and sipping hot coffee?

Online college degrees are more than just the newest trend in education. They are fundamentally reshaping the way we learn. In a 2009 report, the Sloan Consortium noted that enrollment in online degree programs had increased by 17%, which is over six times faster than the growth of the general college student population*.

But not all such programs are created equal. There are a few things you should know before breaking out the coffee mug and silly (but exceptionally comfortable) blanket.

Most online education is provided by legitimate institutions that reward hard work with a valuable degree. But some do lack regional accreditation, which can make it difficult to transfer credits or get employers to recognize your achievement. And a few are outright scams – often called “diploma mills” – that sell fake, useless degrees.

In the interest of keeping your money – or even more importantly, your lender’s money – out of the hands of these con artists, here are five signs that the institution you’re considering might be a diploma mill:

1. It is accredited by Bob’s Discount Accrediting Emporium. The seven regional U.S. accrediting bodies are the only accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. They are the:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• New England Association of Colleges and Schools
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Community and Junior Colleges)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Senior Colleges and Universities)

These associations do accredit online colleges and universities, as long they meet the same standards that are set for campus-based schools. But if a degree-granting institution instead touts credentials from some other group – or no group at all – then it almost certainly is not regionally accredited.

At best, non-accredited colleges and universities will provide you with credits that are very hard to transfer to other institutions, and credentials that many employers don’t consider legitimate. At worst they will take your money and give you nothing in return but a sham degree that is worth less than the paper it’s printed on.

Trade and vocational schools, which are not eligible for regional accreditation, are an exception to the “always choose a regionally accredited school” rule. They are typically certified by a national, field-specific accrediting body. Legitimate culinary schools, for example, are accredited by the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission.

2. There is no need to study, attend classes or take exams. Believe it or not, this is a common promise made by diploma mills. Instead of requiring you to do all of that annoying learning, they offer to grant you an online college degree based on “life experience” – which they’ll never bother to checking into, of course. To a diploma mill, the person who has spent the last 10 years running a business is no different from someone whose professional life is limited to hair-net-and-name-tag jobs. You send them your money, you get your fake degree. End of story.

3. It offers free express delivery. As a rule, legitimate colleges do not pride themselves on fast delivery. It’s one of the ways a real degree is different from, say, pizza.

4. You’re told you will earn more in a few short weeks. Gaining something valuable with little or no effort is the most common scam in the world – just check your email account’s spam bin. Diploma mills love to promise huge leaps in income and quick promotions for those who purchase their degrees, but they never deliver. Almost all major employers – and most smaller ones, too – are now aware of diploma mills and the worthless degrees they sell. Trying to pass off such fake credentials is likely to get you fired by your current employer rather than hired by a new one.

5. It claims you are pre-approved for financial aid. Approval for financial aid like Pell Grants and subsidized student loans comes from the government, not a school. No college or university can pre-approve you for this kind of assistance. When diploma mills and low-quality unaccredited schools advertise pre-approval, it means that they approve of you using your credit card, rent money and little brother’s piggy bank to pay them for a worthless degree.

Now, all that said, you should remember that there are many legitimate online degree programs out there. Even traditional on-campus students are now often encouraged to take a few courses online. The flexibility and affordability such programs offer can be a huge advantage, especially to adult learners who have family, work and other responsibilities.

Just make sure that the online school you choose is regionally accredited, and you should be okay. The degree you earn will have real workplace value, though it is unlikely to be delivered in 30 minutes or less.

*Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009