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If you want to go to college online, one of your major concerns should be if it’s accredited, or not.  Keep in mind that many of your online colleges today are either diploma mills, or they are trying to scam you out of your money.  For example, check out the complaints when it comes to a school such as the University of Phoenix.  Trust me folks, the colleges online only care about your pocketbook, not your education.

Now, if you want to get an education online, there is nothing wrong with it.  I know we all have jobs, family and other priorities that we have to take care of.  With this checklist below, it should get you on the right path to finding the best school online.

#1 Check with your local college / university

You don’t have to go with the University of Phoenix, or other schools online.  What you will find out is that your local community college, as well as universities will offer many of their courses online.   Sure, what you may have to do is go into a lab, or classroom from time to time, but I can assure you that 90% of the classes can be taken online.  While they don’t advertise it, I would recommend that you check with an adviser to explore your options.  A local community college is going to look a lot better on your resume, than a no name Internet school.

#2 Check with your local education department

Each state is different when it comes it comes down to accrediting a University.  For example, schools such as ITT Tech will even advertise that their credits won’t transfer.  Why is this?  It’s because of heavy pressure to not brainwash their potential students.  What many students find out is that they sign up, complete a 4 year degree and find out that no other college will accept their credits.

If you want to find out what schools are accredited, you will want to check the U.S. Department of Education website, which is located here.  There, you can find information on what to look out for, as well as search, where you can find out which school is accredited.

There are different types of accreditations

When you use this search, you will want to keep in mind that there are various accreditation such as nursing programs, and more.  Just because the school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, it doesn’t mean that all of their programs are.  It’s essential that you look into these to ensure that you’re getting into a program that will work for you.

Why should my university be accredited?

If your college courses aren’t accredited, you will find that not only will your credits not transfer, you will also find out that you’re going to have a hard time finding a job, since many employers won’t respect your degree.

If you follow the tips above, you should be able to find a college either online, or offline that will be accredited.