How can you Spot a fake Online Bachelor Degree?
With the rise in demand for online bachelor degrees, many bogus learning institutions have mushroomed over the internet with the sole intention of taking advantage of innocent students seeking for a genuine degree. These so-called “Colleges” often attract applicants with their attractive degree programs which are boasts of easy graduation, low tuition fees, no examinations and credit given for life experience, all of which just sound too good to be true. Some of them even go to the extent of prospecting for customers by sending out bulk email citing university degrees for sale.
So, how do prospective students determine whether an online college is accredited or only offering bogus online Bachelor degrees? Especially for International students, it can be very difficult to determine a school’s validity. In most cases it is impossible for distance learners to visit the campus, so the website is the only point of contact before making the choice and enrolling, which makes it hard to determine credibility.
One of the best ways to determine credibility is to pay close attention to how the credentials are stated. For example, if an educational institution claims to have nationwide or worldwide accreditation, without revealing which government agency provided the accreditation, it’s possible the college or university probably does not possess the necessary seal of approval to provide legitimate online Bachelor degrees.
Six accreditation agencies have been given the authority to award college accreditation. The agencies are divided by geographic location, so it is possible to contact the appropriate office to determine whether a college or university has legitimate standing and been registered in that district. The agencies are all appointed by the National Board of Education and include: New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU).
Another important clue to illegitimacy is mass-emails or mail offering degrees for sale. There are cases of online Bachelor degrees, Masters, or even online Doctorate degrees being obtained by a fixed tuition rate. Some bogus colleges even have the audacity to promise a degree in the mail within 7 days. These unethical businesses take advantage of people who must have a degree in order to get a decent job, or keep the one they have in the first place. However, others take big steps to appear above board and genuine. Displaying evidence of accreditation from a bogus website makes the “school” look real. But, unless one of the 6 authorized agencies is mentioned, it may not be an accredited school. In addition, the only way to earn a college degree is by honest hard work and dedication. If a site offers credit for life experiences, travel, work experience, educational background, or even the amount of books read in the past, rest assured it may not be an institute dedicated to qiality, legitimate and excellent learning.
In short, with the plethora of bogus degrees already causing employers to question online education, make sure your online Bachelor degree is earned from a college or university accredited by one of the six agencies endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education.
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