Ready to enter an online program to enhance your career or obtain new skills? Your decision is right, but pay attention to the accreditation of online colleges. Online education via MOOC (massive open (virtual) online course), online course or e-learning offer learning flexibility and convenience. This concept is not new; therefore, fake universities and degree mills are already available to stalk you. These fraudulent institutions promise students a degree without any coursework or consider the work experience of students to provide a degree. To avoid college scams and degree mills, make sure to do your research while selecting an online college. Online resources like EDsmart can help you in the selection of an accredited college.
Here are some ideas that will help you to avoid degree mills and online college scams.
Check the Authorization of an Online Degree
Make sure to choose a fully accredited distance learning or school program. Accreditation means that good accredited agencies completely review a degree program and a college. The national education ministry or agency recognizes online colleges vowing they respect strict educational standards. You can find a reference of an accredited university on their official website.
Avoid Similar Universities Names
Students can be scammed if an institution has a familiar or reputed name. Sometimes, dishonest institutions show their fake affiliation with prestigious universities. Make sure to avoid running after a famous name. If you see a name like Oxford Online Technological University, it is a scam, and they are making students fool on the name of the renowned Oxford University.
Understand Admission Criteria
If a university has a simple admission requirement or limited criteria for admission, such as a resume or letter, you should suspect this institute. They can be dangerous for your career. Only Open University has limited admission requirements.
Fake institutions often need lots of upfront money. If an online program is asking for a big payment, make sure to avoid this program. Universities don’t require entire tuition fee upfront. They make it easy for students to pay in installments, each semester or each year.
Stay Away from Easy and Fast Degree Programs
If an institution is offering an online degree with an easy course and a small duration, you can’t trust this institute. An online degree can be more flexible than on-campus courses, but still, you have to study similar coursework.
Accredited online institutions put the details of resources on their official website for students, such as libraries or support services. If an institution is failed to provide this detail, this institution is a scam.
Verify Contact Details of a University
You can get contact information of an online institute on their website. If you are not finding details of business or campus address, it means that the university or college is a scam. Some scam institutes put fake contact details, so make sure to verify these contact details before taking admission. Check reviews of graduates on Google about your selected college or university. It will help you to confirm that you are going to invest in a valuable education.
Diploma Mills
Diploma mills or degree mills are bogus universities that sell only a piece of paper on the name of college diplomas. These degrees falsely claim to provide credit for appropriate life experience. Diploma mills get the support of accreditation mills. These mills are set up to provide fake authenticity. It is easy to identify diploma mills with the help of some online research. Compared to authentic institutions, diploma mills have drastically decreased academic requirements. If an institute is offering a degree at surprisingly cheap rates, make sure to avoid this online degree or institute.