Warning Signs that an Online Degree is a Scam

    Friday, October 15, 2021



    When choosing an online degree, take these signs into consideration to rule out all possible scams. Make sure you choose a fully accredited online degree.

    Online learning has been on the rise these past few years, as more and more students discovered the convenience of distance learning programs. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused this tendency to increase exponentially, as it enabled the whole world to experience the online learning environment firsthand. 

    Online students are able to study from the comfort of their homes -or wherever they prefer for that matter-, choose the time of day they are most productive, rewatch recorded classes as many times they want, schedule their days to take care of other responsibilities with ease, among many other conveniences that make online learning very appealing to many students. 

    Yes, online learning brings about many benefits. But, before choosing an online program, students need to carefully assess each one of the degrees they are interested in to make sure they are completely accredited. Otherwise, you will learn a lot but you will end up with a useless degree, which would be a waste of time, money and effort. 

    How do I make sure that an online degree is accredited?


    Online learning has grown at staggering rates in recent years, which has led to more opportunities for legitimacy and transparency. However, there are still some online programs that are fraudulent

    Here are some signs you can take into account when assessing online degrees to avoid scams:

    Suspicious accreditation status


    Potential students should start by digging deeper into the university they are interested in if they suspect a college is falsely claiming accreditation. They also need to check whether it is accredited by the Department of Education and any other accrediting agency. 

    The name sounds somehow familiar


    It is not completely uncommon for some institutions to steal renowned names and modify it a bit, even though it is completely wrong. Students must do extensive research to make sure the university is legitimate. 

    They portray the online degree as easy and fast to earn


    Major red flag: An online college or university that is promising students they can get the degree with not much time and effort. 

    Whether it is online or on-campus, any degree requires effort and time. Otherwise, students won’t be getting a quality education that allows them to acquire the skills and knowledge to compete in the workforce. 

    The address is murky


    Prospective students must check not only the physical, but also the web address of the online institution. Universities and other higher education institutions’ URLs end in .edu, which means that if the online institution has another URL, it might be a warning sign. 

    Pressure or incentives to get you to enroll?


    If the counselor sounds more like a salesperson than an advisor and you feel they are pressuring you to enroll, this is a major warning sign. 

    Do you want to make sure the degree you choose is fully accredited? With these signs, you will be able to tell!