Online programs can make education accessible, convenient, and flexible, but it’s important to find a credible online course before making your selection. It is common for potential students to confuse scam programs, such as degree or diploma mills, for reputable online courses. According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, degree mills or diploma mills are institutions of higher education operating without supervision of a state or professional agency. In short, those institutions care more about making money, rather than providing a qualitative and reputable education experience for eager students.
Accreditation acts as a seal of approval, formally confirming the quality of a college or degree program. In the U.S., accreditation is a voluntary process for educational institutions, which can make the vetting process harder for those just wanting to earn a degree. Although extremely important, there are several strategies beyond verifying accreditation to ensure an online course is legit. So, how can you determine if an online program is trustworthy?
Read on to learn how to detect a faulty degree program and make informed decisions for your education path and career goals.
Verify Accreditation
Verifying accreditation is a crucial step in determining whether a program is trustworthy. After all, by becoming accredited, institutions and programs demonstrate that they meet the high educational standards set by the accrediting body. Furthermore, completing your education through a school that does not hold valid accreditation may render you ineligible for financial aid, certain licensure, and credit transfer.
However, as you scrutinize the accreditation status of a potential school, watch out for dubious accreditation awarded by accreditation mills. These substandard accreditation organizations do not have the widespread academic recognition and legal authority needed to award valid accreditation.
The simplest way to verify accreditation is to search the school’s website. In addition to this, check the accrediting agency’s website to ensure that the school is endorsed, and look for the accrediting agency on either the U.S. Department of Education’s Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs or the list maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to verify that it is legitimate. Here is an example:
Nevada State University
Nevada State University’s online post-licensure Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) program is fully accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). To help students easily locate and verify this information, the school has plainly listed it on the program’s page alongside a link to the CCNE site.
Research the School’s Reputation
Another way to assess the trustworthiness of an online program is to examine its overall reputation. First, consider the quality of available online pathways. Look for evidence that these alternative formats have been designed and executed in a way that allows them to provide an outstanding educational experience on par with the school’s traditional programs. For example, online programs should use strategies and technologies that promote engagement, and they should offer ample support, including access to professors, library resources, and tutoring.
Beyond this, gather authentic opinions and insight from former and current students and faculty. See if the admissions office can connect you with students or professors who are willing to talk to you. Failing this, forums like Reddit are also a great place to gather opinions and ask questions. Furthermore, you can check the school’s standing on respected ranking sites, including the Princeton Review. Here is a school with student testimonials:
Liberty University Online showcases students’ comments on its website. Testimonials provide examples of how the university’s online programs have made a difference for students in a variety of disciplines.
Locate Program Curriculum & Faculty Credentials
Establishing that a school holds valid accreditation and has a positive reputation is a huge part of determining whether a program is trustworthy. However, it’s still a good idea to go a bit beyond this by checking into the program’s curriculum and faculty credentials. Taking these steps ensures that you know exactly what you will be learning and that the program and instructors will help you meet your education goals.
Most schools list curriculum and faculty information in a prominent location on their websites. Program pages usually contain a full list of courses along with descriptions of each. Sometimes this information is available through an online course catalog instead. You may also find headshots, bios, and credentials for the program instructors. If this information is not available on the program page, you can usually search the school’s site to find it elsewhere. Here is one example with an easy-to-find faculty list:
National University
National University makes curriculum details and faculty credentials easily accessible for prospective students. All program pages contain a categorized list of courses, each with a drop-down description. The site also features a faculty archive under the “about” section that is searchable by department. These pages contain headshots, bios, educational credentials, and more.
Review the Admissions Process
Although you should not use the competitiveness of the admissions process as the sole evaluation factor for a prospective school, it is a good barometer of quality. When a school requires applicants to demonstrate their merit instead of opting for open admission, it shows that they want to admit students who are equipped to meet the rigorous demands of their educational programs. In this way, high admissions standards protect both the student’s investment and the school’s reputation.
Credible schools and programs make it easy to locate admissions information on their websites. Generally, it is available under an “admissions” tab if the school has uniform policies across programs or on separate program pages if requirements vary. The most common admissions requirement is a specified minimum GPA. Other common measures include minimum scores on entrance exams, letters of recommendation, and an essay or statement of purpose. As program levels progress from associate to bachelor’s to master’s, admissions requirements become increasingly stringent. Below is a clearly stated admissions process:
Southern New Hampshire University
Locating admissions process information for Southern New Hampshire University is simple. Prospective online students need only navigate to the “admissions” tab and click “online admission.” The steps are straightforward, outlined and explained, and important details such as GPA requirements and the credit transfer process are listed under separate subheadings so that they are easy to find.
Analyze Cost & Financial Aid
Cost of attendance is a top consideration for any prospective college student, and it can also reveal a lot about a school or program’s trustworthiness. Excessively high costs, for example, can signal that the school is mismanaging its finances and passing the costs on to students. And when a student pays these inflated costs, their degree is less likely to help them realize a favorable return on investment.
On the other hand, unusually low costs may mean that the program is a scam. After all, there are expenses associated with running a legitimate educational institution, so the price the student pays should align with what is typical for similar programs.
But even if the price seems about right (neither too high nor too low), make sure to investigate financial aid options. Reputable, accredited schools usually offer a variety of state and federal funding options, such as scholarships, grants, work-study programs, and loans. See if a school lists funding opportunities like this example:
DeVry University
Students at DeVry University have many options for funding their education. The school’s site features a tuition assistance and financial aid tab that details opportunities available. Here, students can find information on DeVry’s in-house scholarships and grants, links to state-funded programs, and a comparison of federal versus private loans.
