College advice for adults - without the sales pitch
Every year thousands of wasted dollars can be traced to adult students who didn't understand accreditation or why it's so important. These students' mistakes not only waste money, but they also waste valuable time, often delaying degree completion by a year or more. Worst case scenario? You spend tens of thousands of dollars completing a degree that no one will recognize; that degree is essentially worthless.
If you needed a babysitter, would you hire the first one you found in the phone book? I hope not. You'd want assurances that the person had been thoroughly checked-out, preferably by a recognized agency that certifies babysitters. You'd also want to speak with people who'd used that person's services. Basically, you'd want an idea of that potential babysitter's quality.
Accreditation gives you, the student, assurance of a higher education institution's quality. Independent agencies perform in-depth reviews on a recurring basis, so accredited schools must work constantly to keep their accredited status.
Don't stop reading yet! It's not enough to ask an admissions representative "are you accredited" and sign on the dotted line if the answer is "yes." You need to know who gave the school its accreditation. There are lots of phony accrediting agencies.
I loved reading the hugely popular graphic novel, Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. (Can't wait for the movie next month). It's a gritty drama about superheroes with faults and shortcomings just like the rest of us. At one point, public opinion turns against the superheroes, who are seen as little more than masked vigilantes. "Who watches the Watchmen?" becomes a common refrain. So, "who watches the accrediting agencies?" In the United States and its territories, that job falls to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).
It's a good idea to attend a college, university, or vocational school that is accredited by a USDE recognized agency.Find out if an agency is USDE recognized at this U.S. Department of Education Web site
I do need to point out that accreditation is voluntary. One of the main reasons institutions seek USDE-recognized accreditation is so that they can become eligible to receive federal financial aid funds. But, the accreditation process is long and expensive - a deterrent for some institutions. You might find a perfectly good school that chooses not to become accredited by a USDE-recognized body. (Seminaries are a good example) Again, do your homework and make an informed decision. Attending a non-accredited school can have serious consequences for your future job prospects, or your ability to transfer to an accredited school.
USDE recognizes three basic types of accreditation:
There are six regional accrediting agencies, each covering a portion of the United States: Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, and Western.
The majority of two- and four-year colleges and universities are regionally accredited.
There are sixteen national accrediting agencies. National accreditaton is mostly awarded to vocational schools that have campuses all across the United States.
Regional and National Accreditation are not interchangeable!
Specialized (also known as programmatic) accreditation applies to a single part of a larger institution. Specialized accreditation covers over 50 fields of study. For example, while the University of Arizona as a whole is regionally accredited, its James E. Rogers College of Law is also fully accredited by the American Bar Association.
Some professional fields, like medicine, will require you to graduate from a professional program that holds a specialized accreditation before you can practice in that field.
Unless you're seeking highly specialized job skills training, I recommend enrolling in a regionally accredited institution. Here's why:
Most four-year institutions are regionally accredited - and they'll only accept credits from other regionally accredited institutions. (Read more about transfer credit pitfalls)
We've discussed the three main types of accreditation, regional, national, and specialized; regional accreditation is the best overall choice, and specialized accreditation is also a must if you're entering certain professional fields. This is a good time to start understanding the different kinds of degrees you can earn.