Education is prohibitively expensive. As a result, students will cut costs any way they can – they take out independent or federal loans, work several jobs, or in some cases, fall victim to predatory scams. These scams, called “diploma mills,” are for-profit companies that do little more than collect your money in exchange for a high-priced piece of paper they call a diploma.
The problem? When you graduate, you will still have paid exorbitant tuition fees without any of the clout that comes with a legitimate degree. Employers are wise to the diploma mill game. Your resume will go to the bottom of the pile.
How to Spot a Diploma Mill
The school is not accredited by a legitimate accrediting institution. Legitimate colleges and universities jealously guard their reputations – and their accrediting bodies do not accredit diploma mills because they do not meet even minimal academic standards.
Diploma mills may even have created fake accreditation organizations to help them mask the scam. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a list of legitimate accrediting institutions. You can verify any school’s accreditation there.
There is little or no actual coursework or learning that takes place. What little there is represents a fraction of the coursework normally required for an associate, baccalaureate, or master’s degree.
The school grants academic credit for your life experience. Most legitimate schools will grant a few credits here and there if you have significant professional experience in a given career field. They may also grant credit for military schooling. They do not grant a significant portion of a degree based upon past life experiences.
There is no professorial contact. Legitimate schools will put you in regular, direct contact with professorial staff. It’s not enough just to send you a reading list.
Aggressive marketing. Most for-profit institutions will do their best to get you to sign on the dotted line. Even legitimate for-profit schools have to keep the lights on. Diploma mills will be more aggressive than most. Don’t give in to sales pressure. Take your time to fully research the institution.
Questionable marketing media. Legitimate colleges generally don’t advertise using deceptive or obnoxious techniques, such as email spam or pop-up web ads. Also, watch out for glaring grammatical or typographical errors in advertising material – it could be a diploma mill.
Flat-fee pricing. Universities typically charge per credit hour or course. Diploma mills are likely to charge a flat fee for a given degree.
Sound-alike names. Diploma mills have been known to use names that are similar to recognized, legitimate institutions. Check the name carefully. Visit the website. If the site seems sparse, the education might be a sham, too.
The Bottom Line
Diploma mills hurt everyone. They dilute the reputations of legitimate institutions and their graduates, while destroying your professional reputation in the process. If you feel you are victimized by a diploma mill, contact your state attorney general’s office. If there is an enforcement record against a given institution, they may be able to warn you or provide you with the appropriate records.
