Alternatives to Diploma Mills
See Your Way to Educational Success
The number one alternative to a flim-flam diploma mill that could cost you your job and dignity is to suck it up and get a college education the right way. A real college degree demands time and energy, but there are convenient ways to earn a degree without sacrificing your job or family, as well as cost-effective degree programs. Who knows, with the right mindset and career goals you might even qualify for a tuition free education.
What is a Real Degree?
Be cautious with the word “real.” Unaccredited colleges boldly advertise their “life experience” degrees to be just as “real” as the next. Not true. When we use the word real we consider the following factors:
- Degree was earned at a college or university that is accredited by a Department of Education sanctioned accreditation agency.
- Student participated in a term of study relevant to the degree earned: one to two years for an Associate’s, four years for a Bachelor’s, one to two for a Master’s, and upwards of two for a Doctorate.
GED the Right Way
Forgo the few hundred dollars for a fake diploma. Invest in a real GED.
Students that dropped out of high school before graduation have typically done so for very particular reasons. Many are immigrants that struggle with English, others have personal problems, or unresolved family and social issues. However, there is also a growing concern that many are simply unmotivated to complete high school. Ubiquitous GED tests have made a high school diploma almost unnecessary in the minds of some teens.
Disconcerting though this speculation may be, high school dropouts do have the option to get their GED. Candidates can study on their own or participate in low cost and sometimes free, prep classes. Most employers now see the GED as almost equivalent to a high school diploma.
From GED to College Degree
Our definition of a real college degree is not out of reach either. Wage earners easily duped into a life experience degree from a diploma mill are unlikely to actually expend the energy. Unfortunately, as much as you’d like your professional and personal experience to matter, as of this point in time higher education measures degrees in terms of course credits and solid curricula.
Just when you want to use the excuse that you have no time to go to school, the solution of an accredited online degree is the answer. But how do you safely shop for a legitimate online degree?
Two-Year Colleges Attract New Generations
College costs too much? Learn how to search for federal, state, and private scholarships. Federal student loans assist almost every college student in some form. And if tuition is still out of the question, consider a community or technical college. No longer are these post-secondary institutions considered second-rate. Economic and social change has had an effect; degrees deliver practical and targeted knowledge, and students that decide to pursue a four-year degree may transfer seamlessly.
When Knowledge is Key
College in the end is not for everyone. Alternatives in free and accessible online academic sources can provide whole degrees worth of learning. They won’t get you a degree, but it’s how you apply the knowledge that really matters in some cases.
