| If you have been thinking about either going to | | | | everything they did in order to get their degree. |
| college or back, especially with regard to attending an | | | | Accepting that someone can sit down, study, turn in |
| online college, there is something very important for | | | | work and take exams will come really hard to these |
| you to consider, prior to even applying to an online | | | | people, so be on the look out for defense where this |
| school: Whether or not the school is accredited. | | | | is concerned. If you do mention that you are or have |
| Normally, the National Education Association, one of | | | | attended online college, it is a good practice to say |
| the foremost accreditors of online and other colleges | | | | that your school is an accredited university, thereby |
| will provide a list of the online colleges they have | | | | putting your interviewer at ease somewhat, even if |
| approved for accreditation. What this means, is that | | | | he or she does not necessarily ascribe to the many |
| the NEA certifies that a college meets its standards | | | | positive points for online colleges. In many cases, |
| for teaching higher education learning. Many | | | | they will not even consider hiring your, if they do not |
| trade-oriented schools online will not necessarily meet | | | | know whether or not your college is accredited. Of |
| this standard, and will therefore not have | | | | course, this has much to do with the actual job you |
| accreditation. | | | | interview for, so some would-be employers can and |
| So, what's the big deal with accreditation anyway, | | | | will cut some slack with regard to that. |
| you might ask? This is really easy to answer. First of | | | | Now, with regard to transferable credits, that is |
| all, say you attend the school of your choice, but | | | | whole different ballgame altogether. Even if you |
| they don't happen to be accredited. You don't think | | | | never use the credits you earn from college, they |
| this is a big deal, after all, you're getting an education | | | | should come from an accredited school. Should you |
| and a certificate or diploma along with it, right? Well, | | | | ever wish to take courses that further your |
| this is what many people fail to understand, when it | | | | education, or should you wish to transfer to another |
| comes to accreditation: a certificate or diploma will | | | | school, you may or may not be able to do so, unless |
| not mean much to most employers, and will certainly | | | | your college is accredited. For some people, this is |
| not offer you transferable credits, should you decide | | | | already a "deal breaker", when it comes to attending |
| to work toward the next college degree. | | | | an online college that is not accredited. Who wants to |
| Okay, let's see things from the employers' point of | | | | waste several years of learning, just because the |
| view. Some employers are not open-minded about | | | | institute is not accredited? You know the answer, as |
| online education, largely from the standpoint that | | | | well as I do; at least no one would deliberately go |
| they had to attend a "real" college, and go through | | | | about doing that! |