Fake Online Bachelor Degrees - What Should You Check For?

By Mary Jackson

With the rise in demand for online bachelor degrees, many bogus learning institutions have mushroomed over the internet with the sole intention of taking advantage of innocent students seeking for a genuine degree. These so-called "Colleges" often attract applicants with their attractive degree programs which are boasts of easy graduation, low tuition fees, no examinations and credit given for life experience, all of which just sound too good to be true. Some of them even go to the extent of prospecting for customers by sending out bulk email citing university degrees for sale.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult for aspiring students to differential between a real online Bachelor degree and the one that is not worth the paper on which it is printed. Most students are seeking an online education because they do not have the ability to attend classes on campus. In addition, many simply live too far away-even overseas. Therefore, the only criterion for determining a school's validity is the website. Important decisions are made on whether the site looks professional and seems to offer the right education; but, that is no way to judge whether a college is credible or not.

One of the qualifying factors that can be utilized by students to make correct enrolment decisions is by determining the type of college accreditation that has been received by their college of consideration. If the college vaguely states itself as having "nationwide or worldwide accreditation" without stating specifically which regional accreditation body it is accredited with, then most likely this college does not possess legitimate accreditation.

The six accreditation agencies given the authority to grant college and university accreditation are entrusted with governing the institutions within their geographical section of the United States as follows: New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU). With specific states for each agency, it is easier to check whether an online learning facility is accredited and registered.

Another tell-tale sign of bogus online bachelor degrees offered is when the university advertises itself through mass-mailing email featuring university degrees for sale. Many bogus distance learning institutions prey on people who are desperate for a degree, but don't have the time and money to go for proper education. That is why these colleges boast of degrees without any examinations, classes, studying or even waiting. There are even websites that offer online bachelor degrees for just a few hundred dollars which can be ordered and received within 7 days. Furthermore, some of them also have dubious accrediting links, stating accreditation from agencies which are not any one of the six listed above. Additionally, they offer fixed prices for their Master's, Bachelor's, and even Doctorate Degrees. Their justification for awarding degrees will be for giving credit to life experiences such as any type of work experience, any educational background, any workshops or community services attended as well as travel experience, hobbies and even on the number of books that a person has read!

In conclusion, as the awareness on bogus degrees increases amongst prospective employers, degrees obtained through a legitimate avenue of education can sometimes be mistaken for bogus online bachelor degrees too. Therefore, the best approach to select a college would ideally be based on legitimate college accreditation awarded by the appointed authorities to the respective colleges.

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