Your Online Diploma Could Be A Worthless Piece of Paper

Your Online Diploma Could Be A Worthless Piece of Paper

Online-based classes have become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, not all institutions offering online diplomas or degrees are legitimate and individuals looking to get ahead are being fooled by phony diplomas.

Schools on and the online programs offering fast and easy high school diplomas or college degrees are also back at it. Earning a diploma or an advanced degree is one way to stand out from the crowd, but some students found out the hard way that the diploma they thought they earned online wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

Distance learning and online-based classes have become an increasingly popular option for students of all ages. According to a 2008 survey from the Sloan Consortium and Babson Survey Research Group, 3.9 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in 2007, a 12 percent increase over the previous year. More than 20 percent of higher education students were taking at least one online course. Unfortunately, not all institutions offering online diplomas or degrees are legitimate and individuals looking to get ahead are being duped by diploma mills.

Be wary of these four online diploma mills in particular:

Belford High School and Belford University

The BBB serving Houston has received 117 complaints from students in more than 40 states who paid for high school diplomas and advanced degrees from BelfordHighschool.com and BelfordUniversity.org. Students were led to believe that Belford High School was accredited and that more than 99 percent of colleges would accept its diploma. Students paid as much as $674 and earned their high school diploma by taking an online test or by qualifying through “life experience.”

Belford University offers associate, bachelors and advanced degrees based on “life experience” including degrees in nursing, accounting, and even a Doctorate of Medicine degree which cost one complainant $1,400. Students also received a phony transcript that claims they took classes such as Aromatherapy and Introduction to Aerosol Science.

Most people learned that their Belford diplomas and degrees were worthless from college admissions offices or military recruiters and several received the bad news during a job interview.

Jefferson High School Online and Vencer High School Online

BBB has received complaints from consumers in Texas, Ohio, and South Carolina who say they passed Jefferson High School’s online test and paid more than $200 to receive a high school diploma. When the students tried to enroll in college using the diploma they were told that it was not valid.

The first part of the test is a questionnaire that asks students several “life experience” questions, including what type of music they like, how often they listen to music or read and how physically active they are. Jefferson High School’s Online Web site says the answers on this portion of the test will count toward the students “elective and life experiences credits.”

After students complete the life experience questionnaire they are given a multiple choice test in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. If a student answers a question incorrectly they are given a hint, and three more chances to select the correct answer from the four possible answers given for each question.

Jefferson High School Online is owned by MMDS Ltd., based out of St. Kitts, a small country in the eastern Caribbean. MMDS Ltd. also operates a Web site called Vencer High School Online. Aside from using a different name, the site is an exact replica of Jefferson High School, and offers the same services.

Red flags to help identify diploma mills:

· Degrees or diplomas are awarded based on “life experience” and require very little or no work.

· The institution guarantees you will receive a degree or diploma within a few days, weeks or months.

· The institution offers deals if you sign up to receive more than one degree at a time, such as a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree for one low price.

· Addresses for administration buildings include P.O. boxes or suite numbers.

· Prices are stated per degree instead of per credit hour.