Online education has exploded in popularity over the past fifteen years. Unfortunately, scam schools and diploma mills have also boosted their numbers during this same time period. The intended purpose of this article is to discuss the warning signs associated with fraudulent schools.
Nursing StudentsGeneral StudentsArticle
Several generations ago, a high school education had been sufficient enough to land a good position. An individual could graduate from high school, find an entry-level job, remain with the same place of employment for thirty to forty years, enjoy some middle class comforts along the way, and retire with a generous employer-sponsored pension. Well, those days are a thing of the distant past.
With a high-school education no longer a ticket to a well-paying job, and 77 percent of adults over 25 without a bachelor's degree, trade schools have enormous appeal to anyone looking to make more money (Yeoman, 1997). To make things worse, several of these schools are nothing more than boldfaced scams and diploma mills. Some scam schools are designed solely to amass tuition monies, federal grants, and student loans (Yeoman, 1997).
Diploma mills are schools that are more interested in taking your money than providing you with a quality education (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). The typical diploma mill or scam school has no selective admissions requirements and minimal or no academic work required. In return, the so-called 'graduate' receives a diploma or degree upon completion of the program that is basically worthless.
Multiple warning signs are associated with scam schools and diploma mills. Some people do not spot these red flags until it is too late. Therefore, be on the lookout for the following attributes:
Diplomas or degrees are granted based solely on life experience.
So-called 'professors' and 'instructors' are difficult to reach
Diplomas or degrees are granted after a very short time frame.
Instead of paying per college credit, students pay for each degree.
The school has a lack of contact information.
Tests are administered online and are not proctored or monitored.
The school's website is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors.
The school is accredited by a phony accrediting agency.
The school's website does not end in .edu
Some of you might be reading this and simultaneously thinking, "All of this stuff should be common sense. Doesn't everybody know to keep an eye out for these red flags by now?"
Unfortunately, many people are conned by scam schools and diploma mills every year. High school dropouts pay money to odious institutions in exchange for diplomas that are later discovered to be worth far less than the paper on which they are printed. People who are too busy to deal with the rigors of higher education pay hard-earned dollars for college degrees that end up having no value in the academic world or the workplace. Click on the link below to read some of these peoples' stories:
Always keep in mind that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Any schooling that is quick and easy is probably associated with a diploma mill or scam school. In a nutshell, keep your guard up and make sure that the people in your lives do not fall for any educational scams.
