Accreditation for many schools is a voluntary process. However, if a private institution for college education hopes to draw any enrollment, it should advertize that word: accredited. Some college education programs actually lose their accreditation status because they drop standards in attendance and coursework to below acceptable levels.

Without accreditation, the government would be wide open to educational assistance fraud. In other words, the U.S. government provides financial aid and guaranteed loans to qualified students attending an institution of higher learning and has an interest in the proper utilization of that assistance. Money that is taken from the government and directed towards fraudulent institutions is money wasted and leaves less for those trying to get a college education through a bona fide accredited institution.

You should check discussion forums first when determining the worthiness of a school’s credentials. Just go to your favorite search engine on the internet and type in the name of the school and the word “forum.” The query should return results listing discussion forums referencing the school you are considering getting your college education at. By glancing at the various forums, you will be able to determine if the school you are considering is accredited, has a worthwhile education program, or has any complaints. Be skeptical when reading forums and look for the frequency of complaints if any. There is nothing to stop a shady accreditation agency from hiring their own forum posters to say nothing but good about the schools it accredits.

Know how to spot a degree mill or phony accreditation. Did you know that even these fraudulent organizations are accredited? There are numerous national accreditation organizations. It is big business. These are private organizations and unregulated by the government. In other countries, the government usually has the function of accrediting colleges and universities but not so in the United States. Probably most Americans would want to keep the operation as a private commercial enterprise too. Even when governments accredit their college education programs, they are susceptible to “under-the-table” payoffs. The bottom line is that in the United States, one must be more prudent in checking not only the school but the accrediting agency behind it.

Make sure you check the credentials of any distance learning or online college education very closely. In other words, don’t rush this step or else you could find yourself quickly parted from your money. Online college education is the wave of the future and it provides many desirable benefits for people wanting to get a college education but for whatever reason cannot do it through traditional ways. Online college education is also the most difficult to monitor from the perspective of both the student and the courses. Anytime a program is “faceless,” it is susceptible to being exploited by fraudulent practices. Any time an online college education program promises a degree in a short time, at a flat rate, and with little work, it is probably a scam–even if its credentials are confirmed by a private organization. Remember that a fraudulent agency will have all their bases covered and they will most certainly have their own accrediting agency on their payroll.