Most people agree that a college diploma can help you earn more money. A lot of websites are promoting online degrees as a shortcut to success, but will those cyber-sheepskins hold as much value as a more traditional diploma?
1. It seems like more online schools have started advertising in the past couple of weeks. Why is that?
The start of the school year is on everyone's mind. If an online school -- either the legitimate programs or the ones that might be a little shady -- can cash in on your interest, it's better for them. As new students explore their options for classes, it makes sense for online educators to remind the students that they're an option that doesn't require travel, housing or other expenses that come with bricks and mortar schools.
2. What are some red flags in looking for an online school?
The worst of the online schools tend to push the outcome -- the ability to command a higher salary -- and how easy the program will be versus explaining how their programs work and what the course of study will be. If the school is making it sound like earning a degree is as simple as logging on, that's a problem. Sharing the success stories of successful students is fine, but watch out for the schools that are long on such overblown tales and short on course content. Higher education should represent hard work, and anyone who's making it too easy to get the diploma is doing a disservice not only to other schools, but to the students. Keep in mind that potential employers are seeing the same ads you are, and they'll draw conclusions about how valid the degrees are based on what they see. Be especially careful if the school is offering to sell you multiple degrees at the same time for a discount.
3. Are online schools accredited by some government agency?
One of the first steps in confirming that the school is the real deal is to make sure that the school is registered with a state agency -- generally, it's going to be a Department of Proprietary Schools or Education. It's more than fair to check out online colleges online for complaints or blogs exposing them as scams -- students used to the Internet are likely to verbalize their problems in cyberspace. You should also ask what the school's record of placement is for students, and how many students didn't pass courses last year. That's important because some students -- for whatever reason -- should fail a class here and there. That's part of providing a serious education that employers will value in the future.