Accredited

Dept. of Education Posts Online Database of Accredited Online Schools

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 2, 2005 - 3:41am.

Washington -- The U.S. Department of Education has launched an online database that contains the names of online schools for higher learning that have received accreditation by agencies recognized by the federal government, in an effort to combat the growing number of fraudulent online schools. Such "diploma mills" defraud both students of their investments, and prospective employers who are misled about applicants' qualifications. The new online database lists the names, addresses and enrollment of all accredited online universities and schools. "Obviously diplomas become a growing concern as the internet has made it easier for these schools to proliferate," Education Department spokeswoman Jane Glickman told Wired News. "The department has no direct way to shut them down, but we want people to know what's a legitimate school and what's not."