Editors
Most Rated Articles
» Other
Federal officials recommend that you always check academic credentials, even when the school they’re from is well-known. Some applicants may falsify information about their academic backgrounds rather than about their work history, possibly because employers are less likely to check with schools for verification or to require academic transcripts.
Here’s how to verify academic credentials:
You can use the Internet to check if a school is accredited by a legitimate organization at a new database of accredited academic institutions, posted by the U.S. Department of Education at www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation. (There are a few legitimate institutions that have not pursued accreditation.)
To find out if an accrediting agency is legitimate, check the list of recognized national and regional accrediting agencies maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation at www.chea.org.
Look at the school’s website. Although it is prudent to check out the school on the Internet, it’s not always easy to pick out a diploma mill based on a quick scan of its site. Some diploma mills have slick websites, and a “dot-edu” Web address doesn’t guarantee legitimacy. Nevertheless, the website can be a source of information. Indeed, federal officials say it’s probably a diploma mill if:
Check other resources. There is no comprehensive list of diploma mills on the Web because new phony credentialing sources arise all the time. However, the Oregon Student Assistance Commission’s Office of Degree Authorization maintains a list of organizations it has identified as diploma mills at www.osac.state.or.us/oda. Another way to check up on a school is to call the registrar of a local college or university and ask if it would accept transfer credits from the school you are researching.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Federal officials recommend that you always check academic credentials, even when the school they’re from is well-known. Some applicants may falsify information about their academic backgrounds rather than about their work history, possibly because employers are less likely to check with schools for verification or to require academic transcripts.
Here’s how to verify academic credentials:
- Contact the school. Most
college registrars will confirm dates of attendance and graduation, as
well as degrees awarded and majors, upon request. If the applicant
gives permission, they may provide a certified academic transcript. If
you aren’t familiar with the school, don’t stop your research just
because someone answers your questions on the phone or responds with a
letter. Some diploma mills offer a “verification service” that will
send a phony transcript to a prospective employer who calls.
- Research the school on the Internet. Check to see if the school is accredited by a recognized agency. Colleges and universities accredited by legitimate agencies generally undergo a rigorous review of the quality of their educational programs. If a school has been accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, it's probably legitimate. Many diploma mills claim to be “accredited,” but the accreditation is from a bogus, but official-sounding, agency they invented.
You can use the Internet to check if a school is accredited by a legitimate organization at a new database of accredited academic institutions, posted by the U.S. Department of Education at www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation. (There are a few legitimate institutions that have not pursued accreditation.)
To find out if an accrediting agency is legitimate, check the list of recognized national and regional accrediting agencies maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation at www.chea.org.
Look at the school’s website. Although it is prudent to check out the school on the Internet, it’s not always easy to pick out a diploma mill based on a quick scan of its site. Some diploma mills have slick websites, and a “dot-edu” Web address doesn’t guarantee legitimacy. Nevertheless, the website can be a source of information. Indeed, federal officials say it’s probably a diploma mill if:
- tuition is charged on a per-degree basis, rather than per credit, course, or semester
- there are few or unspecified degree requirements, or none at all
- the emphasis is on degrees for work or life experience, and
- the school is relatively new, or has recently changed its name.
Check other resources. There is no comprehensive list of diploma mills on the Web because new phony credentialing sources arise all the time. However, the Oregon Student Assistance Commission’s Office of Degree Authorization maintains a list of organizations it has identified as diploma mills at www.osac.state.or.us/oda. Another way to check up on a school is to call the registrar of a local college or university and ask if it would accept transfer credits from the school you are researching.
Source: Federal Trade Commission
Rate this Article: Current: 3/5
Date Added: 2009-04-06 Views : 115