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.
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.
Lol, that was probably me on those forums. I want everyone's opinion before I plop down a ton of money! Thanks for your input as well "Nurse2bKimberly"!
Here is the thing, it is probably legitimate, however, like many "for profit" schools, your credits will likely not transfer anywhere else, so unless you know you know for sure that once you start, you will be able to keep going finish at this school, you might be out lots of $$, as opposed to say, a community college whose classes would likely be transferable to another program. They could go out of business or something and you'd be left with nothing.
Yeah that.
Keep in mind that for-profit doesn't always mean diploma mill: a lot of for-profit schools are legitimate and accredited, so your would be earning a bona-fide degree. But as already stated, they cost big cash, credits don't always transfer, and unfortunately some employers do not look favorably upon them. Doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad idea to go to one, but it's something to keep in mind depending on what your future plans are.
You really need to do your homework about the program you want to attend.
I was wondering....is it a bad thing if a nursing school is not regionally accredited? I'm not even sure if the school is even nationally accredited because I did a member school search on both sites and the school did not come up. while the state board of nursing recognizes them as an accredited school, there is no mention on the national league for nursing's website that they school is accredited by them. I have found no proof that they are nationally and/or regionally accredited either. Is there a difference in what kind of education you can get after? For instance if I wanted to do a LPN to RN bridge program later on, would the lack of accreditation hurt my chances of getting in to such a program? Thanks for any advice given!!
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I was wondering....is it a bad thing if a nursing school is not regionally accredited? I'm not even sure if the school is even nationally accredited because I did a member school search on both sites and the school did not come up. while the state board of nursing recognizes them as an accredited school, there is no mention on the national league for nursing's website that they school is accredited by them. I have found no proof that they are nationally and/or regionally accredited either. Is there a difference in what kind of education you can get after? For instance if I wanted to do a LPN to RN bridge program later on, would the lack of accreditation hurt my chances of getting in to such a program? Thanks for any advice given!!
Most LPN programs do not have NLN accreditation (National League for Nursing).
You can still complete an RN bridge program if you graduate from an LPN program that lacks regional accreditation. However, you will have to complete all prerequisite courses for the RN program at a regionally-accredited community college or university.
Most RN completion programs will grant you one year of advanced placement for having the LPN license. However, they will not accept transfer credits from an LPN program that lacks regional accreditation.
UoP going out of business? Not likely. I live in Phoenix and the fact that there are about a million new UoP campus buildings going up means their for profit status is very... well profitable!
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I found something interesting while browsing online last night. Click on the link below to read the disclosure statement of a popular for-profit school that advertises heavily on the local TV stations in my area.
All of their training programs exceed $14,000 in tuition and have relatively low job placement percentages. The patient care technician (PCT) program has a $16,000 tuition attached to it. I'm not referring to this particular school as a 'scam school' or 'diploma mill,' but their training programs lead to relatively low-paying careers.
I found something interesting while browsing online last night. Click on the link below to read the disclosure statement of a popular for-profit school that advertises heavily on the local TV stations in my area.
All of their training programs exceed $14,000 in tuition and have relatively low job placement percentages. The patient care technician (PCT) program has a $16,000 tuition attached to it. I'm not referring to this particular school as a 'scam school' or 'diploma mill,' but their training programs lead to relatively low-paying careers.
I personally WOULD call this school (Everest) a scam school. Many people have been misled by the school when they enroll in their programs. Many don't realize how much they are going to end up paying or that their credits won't transfer out of the school. True, students should be doing their due diligence about these schools before they sign on the dotted line, but a school like this is not exactly forthcoming about their details if it means they will lose out a potential tuition-paying student. And to be honest, does one really want to attend a school that approves TV commercials like these? It says nothing about the quality of the program or the potential of success in the workplace with an Everest degree. I have to change the channel every time it comes on.
I found something interesting while browsing online last night. Click on the link below to read the disclosure statement of a popular for-profit school that advertises heavily on the local TV stations in my area.
All of their training programs exceed $14,000 in tuition and have relatively low job placement percentages. The patient care technician (PCT) program has a $16,000 tuition attached to it. I'm not referring to this particular school as a 'scam school' or 'diploma mill,' but their training programs lead to relatively low-paying careers.
'
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??????
My associates degree cost 12K and I thought that was obscene
Hey TheCommuter! Thanks for your input. It give me something to think about for sure. However, I was warned to find out if the school is in danger of being shut down first. That is not easy information to find! I will put what you said to heart because I do want to continue on with my education at some point. I would hate though to be prevented from doing so because I graduated from a private technical school. But from what I understand, I can still go to school with my LPN license? So the school name does not matter? Thanks so much for your help!
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Hey TheCommuter! Thanks for your input. It give me something to think about for sure. However, I was warned to find out if the school is in danger of being shut down first. That is not easy information to find! I will put what you said to heart because I do want to continue on with my education at some point. I would hate though to be prevented from doing so because I graduated from a private technical school. But from what I understand, I can still go to school with my LPN license? So the school name does not matter? Thanks so much for your help!
I completed an LPN program at a private trade school and was able to enroll in an RN completion program. However, I took all of my prerequisite classes at a local community college.
I personally WOULD call this school (Everest) a scam school. Many people have been misled by the school when they enroll in their programs. Many don't realize how much they are going to end up paying or that their credits won't transfer out of the school. True, students should be doing their due diligence about these schools before they sign on the dotted line, but a school like this is not exactly forthcoming about their details if it means they will lose out a potential tuition-paying student. And to be honest, does one really want to attend a school that approves TV commercials like these? It says nothing about the quality of the program or the potential of success in the workplace with an Everest degree. I have to change the channel every time it comes on.
I agree. I think Everest is a scam! I know a few people who graduated & thankfully they found jobs but they're low paying IMO(average pay: $14/hr)considering the debt they are in from this school.
Interesting, thanks to youtube I discovered the young lady in the commercial was NOT an actor. But she had a scholarship to attend Everest. And she mentioned on Dr. Phil that she received another scholarship to go to nursing school.
That is not easy information to find! I will put what you said to heart because I do want to continue on with my education at some point. I would hate though to be prevented from doing so because I graduated from a private technical school. But from what I understand, I can still go to school with my LPN license? So the school name does not matter? Thanks so much for your help!
JulesDreamyT
7 Posts
Lol, that was probably me on those forums. I want everyone's opinion before I plop down a ton of money! Thanks for your input as well "Nurse2bKimberly"!