Choosing the Right Online College

Before the Internet made getting a Utah education online possible, the only alternatives to traditional colleges were correspondence schools. If you're not familiar with them, they're educational programs in which lessons are sent via regular mail to students, who in turn send in their homework, quizzes and final exams the same way. Completely lacking any type of interaction between the students and instructors, correspondence schools quickly gained a reputation for being easy, inexpensive ways to earn degrees--but not to get educations. Early on, the operators of these long-distance learning programs discovered that a majority of enrollees weren't really all that interested in learning; they simply wanted degrees. So many of them decided to go with the flow, paying less attention to their curriculums and freely handing out degrees to everyone whose checks didn't bounce. The diploma mill was born.

Bad Reputation

When the Internet came along, it proved to be a perfect medium for diploma mills, which made the transition with little effort. Also making the transition was their reputation, which, for a time, glommed onto respectable online schools when they began to appear on the World Wide Web. For a time, it seemed for people seeking a Utah education, online schooling was not the best option.

Since then, things have changed considerably. Employers have to realize that applicants who received a Utah education online can be just as--or even more--knowledgeable than those with degrees from traditional schools. In fact, many have taken great efforts to make sure their human resources departments can distinguish their difference been a reputable online degree and one obtained from a diploma mill. In other words, if you're truly interested in getting a quality education that results in a degree that will take you places, you should know the difference too.

Giving Accreditation Where Accreditation is Due

The U.S. Department of Education has delegated the task of accrediting online schools to seven regional organizations. If you're seeking a Utah education online, determining whether your possibilities are accredited should be easy; the stamp of approval from one of these seven organizations will likely be prominently displayed on the online college's website. The organizations are as follows:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Learning
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Junior and Community Colleges
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities

There are two other accreditation organizations that, while not among the seven overseen by the USDE, are universally accepted by educators and employers. They are:

• The Distance Education and Training Council
• The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

While getting a degree from a diploma mill might be a whole lot easier, the fact of the matter is you'd soon find out that every penny you spent on it was wasted. By making sure a school is accredited before you enroll, you'll ensure your Utah education online will be both personally and professionally rewarding.