College Accreditation Basics

Accreditation: What is it?

When you're searching for the right school, you often see many colleges boasting that they are "accredited." But what exactly does the term mean? Accreditation means that the school has met a certain set of guidelines and criteria according to a particular organization. Once the school has met the specified criteria, it is granted accreditation. Agencies who actually grant accreditation to schools must be approved by the National Education Association. This way, there is a control factor implemented to be sure that everything is done with honesty and legitimacy.

Is it important?

You may wonder why accreditation is so important. First and foremost, major employers often check to see if diploma holders come from an actual, accredited university and not just a run of the mill school where almost anyone can get a diploma. Employers want to be sure they are hiring candidates who came from real, certified schools. Additionally, if a student chooses to go forward into higher learning such as graduate school, some colleges will turn down their admission due to lack of proper credit if they did not attend an accredited school. This can cause major headaches, as you may end up finding yourself being forced to take and pay for classes you've already taken before in undergraduate school.

So how do you know if you're attending an accredited school? Since accreditation is very important, most schools, if not all who are really accredited will be sure to list and state this on most of their documentation. If you aren't sure if your school is actually accredited, ask someone there beforehand and ask to see some credentials in writing. Most schools will have this information readily available to students so they can be sure they're attending an accredited school. Check with the proper government agencies or the NEA to be sure. It is often much easier for online universities to state they're fully accredited when they aren't, because their students are not physically there on campus.

So how does one tell if their school is "faking it?" Faking accreditation is particularly easy for online, or "distance" learning schools. The first thing to look for is the school's contact information. There should be more than just an email address or fields to send in comments and questions. Good schools should list a directory with actual names and telephone numbers so you can get in touch with someone, and ask any questions you may have directly. Another thing to keep in mind is just because a school's website looks nice and well done, does not mean the school itself is legitimate. It is all too easy today to create a professional looking website that hides behind the façade of an imposter. Overall, use your gut instincts. You know what feels right. Check with your local or regional accreditation agency to be double sure that the school you're interested in is what it says it is, and you'll be on your way to a high quality education.

SOURCES:

http://distancelearn.about.com/od/accreditationinfo/a/accreditation1.htm http://www.degreeinfo.com/tutorial/article1_2.html http://distancelearn.about.com/od/choosingaschool/a/6snares.htm

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