Colleges and universities do not always have a recognized accreditation by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Accreditation is an important factor when choosing a school, especially if you plan to apply for federal financial or may transfer credits from one school to another. Courses may not transfer if you do not have the right accreditation. For example, if you choose to go to an on-line post-secondary school, then the courses may not meet the standards of a four-year accredited university.
Accreditation ensures that the institution meets the standard quality levels for higher education. By law, the U.S. Secretary of Education publishes a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies and all accredited institutions and their accreditations. While private, accrediting agencies consistently provide reliable and accurate assessments of schools. However, some agencies are added and dropped from the Secretary's list as their status changes, so it is always best to check the database often. Regional accrediting agencies accredit entire schools, while other agencies accredit specialized programs, so check the list to see if a specific program of interest also has relevant accreditation.
The government refers to schools with fake accreditation as "diploma mills." This means that the institution offers for a fee any type of diploma, certificate or degree to an individual who may or may not have completed an appropriate program of post-secondary education or training. The program often lacks proper accreditation and is not recognized by most employers. Fake accreditation allows any school to suggest that they are accredited, and while they may be "accredited," they often own and operate the agency themselves, which allows them to pass any assessment of their programs. These degrees and courses with fake accreditation are not recommended for persons wishing to seek employment in a professional field or to transfer courses. True accrediting bodies provide information on their policies and standards on their websites.
Diploma mills and some on-line schools use the Internet to prey on students looking to earn an easy degree over the web. These Internet universities may not have federally recognized accreditation, based on a rigorous assessment of their policies and programs. However, other on-line schools do possess the same regional and/or accreditations as brick-and-mortar institutions, The best way to ensure that the school holds the right accreditation is to check the federal database. Then cross reference with the Better Business Bureau to ensure that the school operates a legitimate school in the U.S. and check for any complaints.