Phony Online Diplomas, Unaccredited Cyber Learning, Beware

There is a new trend these days. Going to school without ever leaving your house. Getting an education over the Internet. Many advertise Online Degrees, Cyber Learning, and Education from Home. Are these legitimate educational programs? Some of these programs are legitimate, especially if they are affiliated with a brick and mortar college or university. Some of these online educational programs are not accredited at all. Other online degrees are accredited, but not by a recognized accrediting entity. This can be a serious problem if you invest thousands of dollars to get a college degree that is not worth the recycled paper and toner it is printed on.

According to a Fox News story, one unfortunate student in Oregon spent 4 years and over $5,000 to get a Master's degree in nursing. This was done using a Canyon College online degree program. When she received her degree and presented it to officials at a community college in Oregon, she found out, too late that the degree was worthless. The staff told her it was not accredited by U.S. Department of Education, or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or the Idaho State Board of Education. Worse yet, She was in danger of facing criminal charges if she tried to pass the degree off as a legitimate one.

Needless to say, she really felt violated, and scammed by the whole sad affair. Accreditation is not required to open a university, college, online or otherwise. Being accredited by an unrecognized organization will not make your degree any more legitimate.

If you have plans to attend an online university for a degree or just classes, you should research their accreditation. Another Fox News story has a list of the top ten legitimate online learning schools that really are accredited, and will give you a legitimate degree. You should still check with any future employers or colleges if they will accept classes or degrees from these universities. If your school is not on the list, you need to find out if they are offering a real education.

Another web site mentions two other related scams. One scam will set up a completely phony university operation, with testimonials and glitzy graphics. After you make your tuition payment by credit card, you never hear from them again, and have no way to contact them. Another fraud that has been around for centuries is know as a "Degree Mill". For a price, you can have any degree you want, even if you really are uneducated about the subject matter. People buying from these degree mills usually know what they are doing and often get caught.

Bottom line, do you research before investing in an online education.