Not all online school accreditation is created equal, and it is critical for students to comprehend the significance of receiving an online degree from a recognized school.
For prospective college students, accreditation is a crucial concern. The expense of a college education has risen dramatically in the last 20 years, with little sign of slowing down. The rising expense of obtaining a degree has put higher education out of reach for many people.
This situation has forced students to frequently struggle with the fast-paced nature of life as they balance employment commitments and family obligations while pursuing a degree. Thousands of students have turned to online choices to obtain a degree as a result of this. These lessons are less expensive and allow you to learn from the comfort of your own home.
In this post, we’ll provide information on online accreditation, and why it’s important you confirm a school’s accreditation status before enrolling.
What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is the designation given to a program or institution that has been deemed to meet or surpass set educational quality requirements through self-study and peer assessment. The program or institution’s status is decided by a process of evaluating it against the standards.
Accreditation is a voluntary process that encourages institutions to evaluate themselves, regulate themselves, and hold themselves accountable. The accrediting body’s job is to ensure that quality is achieved and maintained through the application of educational standards.
Accreditation of programs focuses on individual programs, but it also considers many of the factors that affect the greater institutional environment.
Institutional accreditation examines the institution as a whole, as well as its ability to develop and deliver high-quality programs.
Accreditation benefits a wide range of stakeholders, including affiliated institutions, their students, and the general public.
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The Importance of Accreditation
When looking into online schools, prospective students should prioritize accreditation. The federal government looks to accreditation to see if the education provided at a particular institution is worth the fee. A student must enroll at a recognized college in order to obtain and use federal help. This also applies to students who intend to receive federal financial help for military personnel. Many states also provide financial assistance, and these programs also require students to enroll in authorized programs in order to be eligible.
Unaccredited school credits are unlikely to transfer to another university. If you get a two-year degree at an unaccredited institution and then transfer to an accredited four-year school to earn a bachelor’s degree, you may have to start over completely if the four-year school rejects your previous credits. Although accreditation does not guarantee that other universities will accept transfer credits, it does increase the odds of acceptance.
A degree from an unaccredited institution may potentially limit job opportunities. Employers favor students who have earned a degree from an accredited college, and several professions, such as social work and nursing, require an accredited degree to sit for licensure exams. Keep in mind that if you want to use your employer’s corporate tuition reimbursement program, your employer may refuse to reimburse tuition for a school that lacks regional accreditation.
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The Consequences of Attending an Unaccredited School Online
The repercussions of attending an unaccredited online school will vary depending on why a student enrolls in a course or program. But, in general, if a student attends an unaccredited school, they will miss out on certain benefits and risk graduating with a degree, diploma, or certificate that is basically meaningless, aside from any personal gratification the student may derive from the achievement.
By enrolling in an unaccredited school, a student:
- State and federal financial help, including grants and loans, will be ineligible.
- Most private types of financial aid, particularly scholarships, will be disqualified.
- Employers may overlook or dismiss any academic credential obtained from an unaccredited institution.
- Will be enrolled at a school that does not receive any federal or state assistance to help support the school.
- When transferring or seeking for admission, the academic credits gained at the unaccredited school may not be accepted by another school.
- For the unlicensed practice of a certain profession, they may expose themselves to criminal prosecution or civil liability.
See Also: 7 Ways to Determine How Reliable an Online Degree Is
What Agency Accredits Online Schools?
Institutional accreditation might come from a regional or national entity when examining a college or university as a whole. The recommended sort of certification is regional accreditation, which indicates that the institution has reached the highest academic standards.
Because completely online institutions serve students from all over the United States, they frequently seek accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), a national agency. DEAC was established in 1926 to evaluate previous kinds of distance learning and is recognized as an official accrediting agency by both the United States and Canada.
CHEA and the Department of Education The commission establishes itself as a trustworthy authority in the sphere of online education and learning. It emphasizes accountability for satisfying student learning outcomes through an effective, competency-based educational paradigm when evaluating online schools. DEAC or other approved authorities have nationally accredited many online schools and career colleges.
How Are Online Programs Accredited?
When fully authorized, online programs are subjected to the same rigorous examinations and investigations as to their campus-based equivalents, with evaluators ensuring that the online education component sufficiently supports distant learners. Faculty qualifications, course delivery models, and support services are given are all factors that reviewers consider.
If they have an affiliation, are they covered by a campus school?
Yes, in a lot of circumstances. Under that umbrella, a school with a brick-and-mortar location and regional or national accreditation can provide online degrees. When it comes to programmatic accreditation, make sure you ask if the online version of a campus-based degree is accredited.
What if they just exist online?
Many online schools are regionally accredited. However, online-only universities are considerably more likely to lack proper accreditation – especially if they are not a well-known brand – making it much more critical that you do your homework.
How Online Colleges and Universities Get Accredited
Despite the importance of accreditation, it is entirely optional. Any institution that is concerned about sustaining a student body and providing quality education, on the other hand, will endeavor to obtain and maintain accreditation. The particular procedure will vary depending on which accrediting agency the school seeks accreditation from, but the overall process usually takes one to two years to complete.
- The first step in becoming accredited is to figure out which accrediting credential you want. The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or the United States Department Education, is one of the most well-known organizations in the United States Because of their more stringent certification criteria, the Department of Education recognizes accrediting bodies, some of which are more prestigious than others. The higher the accreditation, the more stringent the requirements for the school. There’s also the reality that a school can seek programmatic accreditation for its particular programs even if the school is already accredited.
- After deciding on which accreditation to pursue, a school must determine and meet the qualifying standards. It may be in candidacy status throughout this time. This indicates that the institution is not yet accredited, but is on its path to achieving accreditation.
- During the candidacy period, the school must submit a substantial amount of paperwork and documents to demonstrate that it meets the accreditation requirements. This will include information about the faculty, the school’s financial viability, class syllabi, graduation criteria, degree requirements, and student work samples.
- The evaluation is the next step, in which commission members examine the school’s accomplishments and qualities to see if accreditation is appropriate. This will normally include a study of documents as well as a tour of the school’s campus and facilities.
- At long last, a decision is reached. The school will be required to provide continuous reports on its academic and financial situation until a decision is reached. If the school is accredited, it will be required to renew its accreditation on a regular basis, usually every few years.
How to Spot An Online Degree Is Genuine?
Here are a number of ways to find out if an online degree is genuine or not:
1. Verify that online schools are accredited
The easiest approach to ensure that any school or distance-learning program you choose is fully accredited is to make sure that it is accredited. This indicates that the school or program has been confirmed or verified by peers in the field of education.
Typically, an organization or the National Ministry of Education accredits online colleges after they demonstrate that they adhere to educational requirements. You will see a reference to accreditation on the university’s website if it is accredited.
2. Avoid universities that use the names of well-known institutions as their names
You might be duped if the school has a name that sounds extremely similar to that of a well-known, reputable university, but with a twist. If you see a moniker like Oxford Technological Online University, you’re being duped into thinking the school is affiliated with the famed Oxford University.
3. Be wary of admission criteria that seem too good to be true
If there are few admission criteria or very simple requirements, such as a resume and a motivation letter, you should be suspicious. The sole exception is if the university is an open university, which usually has few admission requirements.
4. Don’t pay the tuition upfront
If the institution asks for a large sum of money before you even know if you’ve been accepted, it’s almost certainly not a legitimate online program. Tuition fees are usually paid in installments, each year or semester. Universities do not require you to pay the entire tuition fee; this is strictly optional.
5. Be wary of degrees that appear to be too easy to obtain
If obtaining a degree appears to be too simple, you should reconsider. Although online degrees are more flexible than on-campus degrees, they still necessitate the same level of effort and study.
6. See what resources accredited online universities have available
Accredited online schools have resources such as student support services and libraries available on their websites. If you can’t discover this information, the institution is most likely not legitimate.
7. Check the university’s contact information
If you need more information, go to the institution’s website. If you can’t locate any information regarding their university or business address, you’re probably dealing with a con. Although some institutions are entirely online and do not have a physical location, they should nonetheless have some business contact information.
8. Look up graduate reviews on Google
Hearing what other students have to say about the institution and the program’s trustworthiness is a good approach to get a true sense of what the university is like. Many students leave feedback on university pages as well as educational websites. Students who received a verified diploma and were satisfied with the course will undoubtedly mention it. The same can be said for the inverse.
How To Find an Accredited School
If you must enroll in a program, ensure the program is accredited. Here are a few ways to find an accredited school.
1. Start with state schools
Due to the state government’s oversight, all public schools in your state will be properly accredited. You can get a sense of what to expect from other institutions by looking at these schools first (even if you wish to attend a private school).
2. Use DAPIP
The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, maintained by the United States Department of Education, makes finding an online school accreditation simple. This searchable database can help you find information on authorized colleges and universities. If a college or institution does not appear in the database, it does not have accreditation.
3. Check with CHEA
The Council on Higher Education Accreditation oversees accrediting agencies in collaboration with the Department of Education. It provides a searchable database and can assist you in identifying the necessary institutional/programmatic bodies for your specific school/degree.
Conclusion
Online School Accreditation guarantees that institutions or programs meet certain criteria, although it does not necessarily guarantee complete quality. As a result, when investigating colleges, students should always prioritize accreditation status while also taking into account a range of other aspects. Consider graduation and retention statistics, job placement rates, and test pass rates, as well as current student feedback. These factors can help students make an informed decision about which accredited online institution to attend by indicating a school’s overall quality and performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
A student must enroll at a recognized college in order to obtain and use federal help. This also applies to students who intend to receive federal financial help for military personnel.
Accreditation is the designation given to a program or institution that has been deemed to meet or surpass set educational quality requirements through self-study and peer assessment.
The repercussions of attending an unaccredited online school will vary depending on why a student enrolls in a course or program.
When fully authorized, online school accreditation is subjected to the same rigorous examinations and investigations as to their campus-based equivalents, with evaluators ensuring that the online education component sufficiently supports distant learners.
