You Need To Educate Yourself!

Perhaps the most important criteria for choosing an online high school or online academy is being an accredited institution

. It should not be just any accreditation, either. The accreditation should include oversight and not just a license to do business.

What is accreditation? It is a process of assessing a school's program and policies to see if it meets the criteria set by an outside agency. If the school meets the minimum criteria, it is given the accreditation. The accreditation is actually a safety mechanism to protect students, schools and employers.

Accreditation is important because it is your assurance that the school offers quality education and that your diploma or courses that you have taken will be accepted by employers and other schools. If you attended a fake school or a school that is not properly accredited, your diploma will not help you land the job you want or advance your career. Nor can you expect to use it or get credits for your coursework if you decide to go on to college or university.

How will you know if an online high school is properly accredited? There are some schools out there that go as far as making up their own fake accreditation. In fact, accreditation from the wrong source, such as an accreditation mill, is worse than no accreditation at all.

An accreditation that may be fake is one from a misleading name that only implies it is a national or regional accreditor. Also look closely at the logo to see if it is legitimate. And if the website for the assumed accreditor is missing information and lists vague contact information, that may also be a red flag.

You can go to the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website to verify the accrediting agency used by the school is legitimate. The CHEA database includes a list of US accrediting organizations that are recognized either by the CHEA or by the US Department of Education or both. This includes any of the six regional accreditors, Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation and the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Though both types of accreditation, national and regional, are accepted by employers, it is best to know the difference and which one your online school uses. Many of the regional schools do not accept transfer credits from a nationally accredited school. If you are taking classes for your own enjoyment or satisfaction, this won't be a problem, but if you plan on furthering your education it will benefit you to know.

It is a waste of your time and money to attend an online school that does not have the proper accreditation in place. Your certificate of completion will also be worthless and could cost you your job if your employer found out. No matter if you attend online school for college or online high school, the proper accreditation will guarantee you are getting a quality education.

by: Jordan McPelt

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