Education Anytime, Anywhere
College on the Internet Opens New Gateway to Degrees
STUDYING at FAKE U.
Protect yourself from schools that don't exist
John Bear proudly displays his doctor of neurosurgery degree from Harvard University on his office wall.
Unless you're really looking closely, you won't notice the line of fine print on the bottom corner of the impressive diploma. It says, "This is a reproduction. No school credit or degree status is granted or implied."
Bear's "degree" cost $50 and is the perfect example of how easy it is to obtain a fake but very real-looking degree from a "diploma replacement service" or one of many fake schools dubbed degree mills that he estimates do $200 million in business every year.
Bear, the author of several guides on distance and nontraditional learning, has become a well-known watchdog of degree mills - fake schools and fake accreditation services that sell artificial degrees, certifications and other credentials. (Bear also has a law degree from Harvard from a different service that only cost $58, which he was offered when the proprietors couldn't find the medical degree he asked for.)
The crime has existed for many years, and in fact the FBI maintained a special task force (Operation DipScam) in the 1980s to control the problem. But the Internet has opened a new avenue for schools that don't really exist and for degrees by mail. These bogus organizations compete alongside legitimate start-up schools and online ventures in an industry that goes largely unregulated.
So if you're looking to enroll in a legitimate school for an authentic online education, how do you keep from getting cheated out of valuable tuition dollars?
It's harder than you might think, Bear said.
"The bad guys can be very big, and have lovely Web sites, and have the .edu designation," Bear said. "It's not the guy with the laser printer on his kitchen table cranking out a few diplomas."
A recent, elaborate fraud was Harrington University. The "school" had a London mailing address that was a mail forwarding service. The school was apparently run by somebody in Los Angeles and used a printing plant in Jerusalem to print what Bear called "legitimate-looking literature."
"Their bank is in Cyprus, although you don't know that, because you just send it [fees] through Western Union," he said.
There are simple steps a prospective student can take to avoid such schemes.
First, find out what kind of accreditation the school has. In the United States, legitimate colleges generally have regional accreditation and specialized accreditation that certifies specific fields of study.
Then, make sure the accrediting agency itself is legitimate, Bear advises.
"There are just as many fake accreditation agencies as there are schools," he said. His most recent guide book lists over 50 fake accrediting agencies, but the list has grown to 100.
The Council for Higher Edu-cation Accreditation is the um-brella organization that investigates and recognizes accrediting agencies around the United States. The organization, located in Washington, D.C., maintains a Web site at www.chea.org.
Another wildcard agency to look for is the Distance Education and Training Council, which specializes in distance learning programs and thus online education. Its Web site is www.detc.org.
Aside from accreditation, Bear recommends asking questions of the school, and even talking to other students who have similar interests or needs.
"Nobody honest will refuse to answer questions," Bear said. "If you ask where is your campus, or can I talk to some graduates or where did your president get his degree, these are reasonable questions."
Bear himself doesn't mind checking into the legitimacy of a school, degree or credential, and welcomes e-mails through his Web site, www.degree.net, at john@degree.net. You can also write him at P.O. Box 7070, Berkeley, CA 94707. 
Resources
Edu-commerce sites:
www.notHarvard.com
www.Hungryminds.com
www.learn2.com
www.worldwidelearn.com
Some e-learning providers:
www.eCollege.com
www.Blackboard.com
www.Convene.com
Other useful resources:
www.degree.net
www.CHEA.org
www.DETC.org |
