Online Accredited Degrees
Millions of online degrees have been earned over the past ten years, and it would be near impossible to have missed one of the many commercials or internet ads promoting the convenience and value of an online degree – just as many of us have heard about those notorious diploma mills which cast a black mark on online colleges. But the time when online colleges operated without oversight is gone. Now there are online colleges that have been approved by the six regional accrediting associations that give traditional colleges their accreditation and are recognized by state and federal government. Online accredited degrees meet the same standards as degrees earned from on-campus colleges.
Online accredited degrees can be earned from any online college that has been accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies: the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All accreditations are not created equal. Just as there are diploma mills, there are accrediting agencies set up to provide online colleges with an appearance of legitimacy. Before enrolling make sure your online college meets the appropriate criteria demanded by your region.
Some online colleges have not met regional accreditation standards but are nationally accredited or accredited by specialized accrediting organizations. Online degrees from these online colleges are not equivalent to those from the diploma mills, but may be seen as inferior to degrees from campus-based colleges and from regionally accredited online colleges. In order to ensure that time and money are invested in the manner most likely to advance education and career, online accredited degrees from regionally accredited online colleges are the best course.
Also, and most importantly for students seeking methods of tuition payment, federal financial aid is only approved for colleges that are accredited by a government approved accrediting agency. Accredited colleges are listed on the following database provided by the U.S. Department of Education (ope.ed.gov/accreditation/).
By attending an online college that is accredited, students are able to take advantage of all the conveniences of distance education without sacrificing credibility and marketability.