How to Check Out Online Schools, Diploma Mills

Vicky Phillips, GetEducated.com founder, and an expert on accredited online education for more 20 years, lends her advice to the The Cleveland Plain Dealer (and its affiliated website, Cleveland.com) in this special report detailing how students can determine if an online school is a credible accredited institution. Phillips pointed out that the number of online degrees has soared from a handful available 20 years ago to more than 12,000 available today, making it crucial that online students learn how to spot credible online universities and avoid the diploma mill scam industry online. At the same time the degree mill industry (fake online colleges) are also growing and preying on consumers.

An excerpt:

"There's been double-digit growth in the last six months in people enrolling in online education," Phillips said. "But there's so much choice, people are confused. Consumers don't know how to shop in this new marketplace."

Just one of the problems: Almost all of the 500-plus diploma mills in this country are accredited—but by fake agencies they've created.

The most widely recognized university accreditation comes from six regional boards that Phillips lists on her site.

Read more about GetEducated.com and Vicky Phillips in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.