Online College Education Network
(OCEN)
Accreditation Status
The
first step to a successful online education is finding an online college
facility that has accreditation status. Accreditation status is given
to an online college if the institution meets certain program standards
established by agencies composed of educational experts.
We have to take a greater responsibility for our education or we will lose out on the rights we have as online students of the world.
Students who get their education through an online college facility that does not have the appropriate accreditation status lose out on certain rights.
- Access of institution/student to federal financial aid, grants, and other federal support
- Transfer of credit hours/classes from one school to another
- Acceptance to graduate school
- Employer hiring when evaluating credentials of job applicants
- Eligibility to be licensed to practice in their profession
With
the surge of online college courses being offered it has become important
to verify whether or not the online educational facility has the appropriate
accreditation status.
The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation web sites can provide you with important information on the subject of accreditation for online education.
There is one warning sign in particular that can advise you well on an online college's accreditation. If you can't seem to track down the agency that an institution claims it has been accredited by you may want to look elsewhere.