Currently, government officials have launched an unprovoked attack against online universities and colleges, calling them “degree-mills”, because of their mix of both knowledge and life experience. What’s wrong with this? Apparently these schools do not walk down the beaten path of traditional ones, placing an emphasis on education instead of mere profit making.

It would seem that online schools such as Almeda University’s mix of traditional learning and the personal experiences of their students has scared the institutions to the point where they have released their government attack dogs in an attempt to completely discredit these schools, with the goal of maintaining the status-quo of the current system. As they attack this new wave of education, tuition costs of traditional universities continue to rise, denying countless people the opportunity of furthering their education and career potential. Apparently, spending upwards of one hundred thousand dollars is the only way to prove that the education received is worthy of government approval. While these on-line educational programs offer a solid alternative to other post-secondary institutions, they are continuously bombarded and discredited by the education system. It would appear that post-secondary education is crafted for those whose bank accounts warrant it… at least in the eyes of traditional universities. For this reason, it is highly recommended that anyone applying for one of these non-traditional degrees check with their prospective employer to determine their acceptance of such. The government will not accept these non-traditional degrees, nor will some private employers. Check first before you are railroaded off to the unemployment line.

While these on-line schools are chastised, it is rarely mentioned that the US government does not accredit many other well-known institutions, even though they are well respected worldwide. Cambridge University in England is no more accredited than Almeda University, yet the latter is receiving all the blows. It would seem that the recent influx and popularity of on-line schools has threatened the potential business of traditional schools, so while they claim to be protecting education, they are merely protecting their own business. These unseemly assaults, courtesy of the nations education system has further blurred the lines between legitimately concerned institutions and a business monopoly. According to this system, unless a school has been rubber-stamped by the government, it is not a worthy education, but this extremely narrow outlook on further education will not stop graduates of on-line schools from succeeding in their fields of study. Many people who choose to spend less money on a quality on-line education are finding more and more opportunities, despite the institutional mud slinging from the “approved” system.

This article is not intended to make people instantly sign up to on-line schools or drop out of a traditional university, it is intended to inform people that this one-sided attack against on-line schools is both unwarranted and unnecessary. If the heads of traditional universities truly cared about education instead of business and the bottom line, they would not see the recent development of on-line programs as a threat. Institutionalized accredited universities do not threaten on-line schools because they know that what they offer is a valid, fair and useful education, and as more people discover this fact for themselves, traditional schools feel that their pocketbooks may be compromised, thus explaining their harsh backlash.

Before attacking on-line courses, look into them, talk to students who have registered and successfully completed the courses and keep an open mind about education. Knowledge and life experience can go a far way, and maybe the traditional schools can learn a thing or two themselves about expanding the possibilities of post-secondary education.

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If you wanted to learn to drive a racecar, would you look up one of the Andretti brothers or go down to the local arcade and pick the kid who had the high score on the Gran Turismo game? If you wanted to learn how to sell real estate, would you talk to a Realtor who's made millions or call the local Monopoly champion?

Silly questions, aren't they? Well, when a business hires someone fresh out of college over someone with years of experience they're essentially putting the video game and Monopoly champs to work.

Unfortunately, most human resources departments filter resumes when they come in the door without even reading them. Ones that don't have a degree listed go in the trash even if they're submitted by a proven professional with years of experience. In this case, the degree doesn't mean a thing. It has no more function than an identification badge used to get by a security checkpoint. It's the little plastic card that opens the door to further consideration.

Big business has been slow to realize that the best choice for most jobs is not the person who took classes, but the person who has the hands-on experience in the field. In business, they would rather hire someone who aced Marketing Theory than someone who has successfully sold hundreds of different products over a career.

In this environment, a life-experience degree does a tremendous amount to level the playing field. It gives tremendously qualified applicants that "access card" that will get the door opened.

Getting a life-experience degree is NOT "cheating" or "taking the easy way out." It is signifying the achievement attendant upon years of work. It is allowing people who are, in the main, vastly more qualified than people given preferential treatment over them an entry into the "degreed" world.

Of course, traditional universities aren't at all pleased with this concept. If someone is able to pair a degree with years of experience, they will immediately shoot to the top of any heap of job applicants. That's why they have pulled out all the stops to discredit life-experience degrees. More and more, however, corporations are realizing that by not giving nontraditional degrees full credit, they are depriving themselves of eminently qualified, superior-quality employees.

So, would you hire the kid who got top grades in Business Theory, or would you hire the vice-president of a Fortune 500 company who pulled himself up with his own wit and determination and succeeded.

Simple choice, isn't it?

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Representation

It is disappointing to think that, after all the hard work you have invested in gaining the qualification you require to further your career, you must now approach a new task - how best to represent your qualification to prospective employers. It is a sad comment on today's interpretation of education that the mention of a particular accredited school might be enough to impress, when the qualification earned remains a simple piece of paper regardless of the institution that awarded it. You have invested your time and effort into learning the information that would be invaluable to any employer, and now, it is your job to convey the hard work you have put in, and to demonstrate the knowledge you have acquired.

It has been suggested that graduates of non-accredited schools feel ashamed of the place they earned their qualification. But a true education encompasses so much more than the campus you attended. The knowledge and understanding that is found in education is a factor of the attention and the effort invested; the quality of a qualification depends more on the student than the teacher. You have worked hard, both inside and outside the usual learning environment, you have sat at your computer and learned through experience, and it is evidence of these facts that any good employer will use to relate your abilities to the job they have to offer.

What use to any company is an Ivy League graduate who is unable to apply their knowledge to real situations? What value is a degree from an accredited college that was only barely achieved despite missed classes and half done assignments? If an employer is looking for an accredited college graduate, then it is your job to disabuse them of the idea that such a graduate could perform the job any better than you can. Any employers who cannot recognize the value in your hard earned qualification are only hurting themselves, because they are losing out on all you have to offer. But if they are a product of an education system that values only the name of a school, then you must be the person to change their minds.

You have earned a degree, and gained an education; this is what a prospective employer requires, and you fit the bill. But it is not the degree that will be doing your job; you will. It is true that your degree was not awarded by an accredited school, but it is not the school that will be doing your job either. It is down to you, and you alone. You know that you have gained the knowledge and the skills to perform the task required, so go out there and prove it. And remember, as Jim Rohn, the leading motivational speaker, philosopher and entrepreneur says, ‘ Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.' Go out and prove that it is your hard work that will get you places, and not the name of your alma mater.

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The Accreditation Fracas

Non-Accreditation Challenges Tradition & Takes the Lead

Corporate employers may interview hundreds of applicants every week, for perhaps a dozen available jobs. In an effort to screen the potentials efficiently, besides perusing resumes, they resort to reviewing the answers to a relatively small group of questions to make their final decisions. Two of those questions are. “What is your highest level of education?” “What work experience do you have?”

As a case in point, consider this common scenario. Out of forty-five applicants, only three have work experience that qualifies them for the position. One of the three is the cream of the crop, but wait. Having done due diligence (highly unlikely), the employer discovers the applicant's degree is from an unaccredited college. What decision does the company make with the apparent options? Given the experience of the premier applicant, the intelligent personnel manager would most assuredly use common sense and reevaluate any policy in place about accreditation before letting the best choice get away.

It is a growing practice across the U.S. to insist employees have a college degree. However, as applicants with superior work-related qualifications meet and exceed the criteria for the job but do not have a degree from an accredited learning facility, employers must rethink their position on accreditation VS non-accreditation, or hang from their own policies. The simple fact is that the costs associated with training those who lack experience far exceed the benefits of hiring only those with degrees from accredited facilities.

For every human pursuit in the United States there is a hoop through which we must jump. Education is no exception and there are reasons for it, but they aren't the reasons you might expect. Accreditation isn't handled directly by the Government, but it is required that you attend an accredited learning facility in order to receive financial aid, or to be able to transfer the credits you earn to another college in the future. Reputable, non-nationally accredited learning facilities, like Life Experience Schools, DeVry, and Kaplan make certain these facts are clear to each student prior to attendance. In addition, they do not simply pass out degrees like so many tickets to a Seahawks game, and they don't offer degrees in the fields of law or medicine.

The arguments, about which degree is better or more employable , pile as high as an exhaustive survey of the literature for a Ph.D. in Philosophy. While some would like you to believe otherwise, accreditation in no way insures a superior education, a more qualified job applicant, or for that matter, a logical solution to the life dilemma of obtaining a degree. Taken a step further, it doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to discover that those who grant the accreditation are simply another governing body, applying yet another series of hoops through which citizens of the U.S. must jump to get to the other side.

As a student, the disadvantages of not receiving financial aid or not being able to transfer credits is outweighed repeatedly by the obvious advantages of applying work and life experience, plus a small investment toward a degree from non-accredited online learning facilities. They offer credit for life and work related experience, assisting the student to achieve their well-deserved goals more efficiently. With a little investigation and survey of the arguments, the choice to choose the non-accredited college is obvious particularly considering that accreditation by U.S. standards means little in the way of insuring a superior education or guaranteeing employment.

The ongoing uproar by accredited learning facilities no longer holds water as thousands rush to complete degree requirements outside of the traditional classroom environment. Living in a fast-paced and demanding world has forced students, particularly those who have worked for years, and who now need the letters behind their names, to seek alternatives to the enormous expense and endless hours in a classroom. Making the choice for a non-accredited education should rest in the hands of the student, and if as a graduate that student demonstrates skills that are competitive in the workplace, it has provided a win-win circumstance for the employer and the employed. In spite of what you may have heard, online and non-accredited educational facilities are not going to go away simply because they have not received the approval of those with whom they can compete. In fact, attendance continues to grow rapidly as students exercise their choice to pursue a degree that factors life experience into the equation.

http://www.degreeadvice.com

Just added two new sections to DegreeAdvice.com

About Accreditation http://www.degreeadvice.com/life-experience-degree-accreditation.html
Universal Acceptance http://www.degreeadvice.com/life-experience-degrees-acceptance.html

3 great articles.

ED
Http://www.degreeadvice.com

As a businesswoman, I have had the opportunity to hire and work with hundreds of employees from all walks of life. I have employed fresh, young upstarts straight out of college, and I have employed people who have spent years of their lives gaining experience in their respective fields. The one certainty I have come to rely on is this: a traditional degree from a prestigious university does not mean you've found the best person for the job.Recently, I came across an article on a rather popular Web site lambasting the online university system. In particular, I was struck by an attack on Almeda University, an institution I have had the occasion to become familiar with. Almeda, like several other online universities, offers degrees in what they call Life Experience. The author of the Web attack seemed intent on dismissing these degrees as wastes of time and money, basically calling them shams.This could not be further from the truth. I have hired my share of workers, and while I am certainly not discounting the achievements and efforts of those who have earned a traditional degree from a brick and mortar university, it has been my experience that the people who are the best workers are those with real life know-how. In general, these employees are better equipped to solve problems, think efficiently, and offer insight that it is just not possible to acquire through "book learning" only.The problem seems to be that some, such as the traditional colleges and universities, are threatened by the emergence of a less expensive, more accessible avenue to learning. They are, to put it bluntly, worried about the bottom line. I'm a businessperson, so of course I understand business - but education should be about more than just business - it should be about everyone reaching his or her full potential.From what I've seen, the idea of accreditation is weighed much too heavily, whereas elements that are actually valid, such as life experiences in the actual workforce, are discredited or demeaned. It has been my experience that, when hiring for any position, a lot of applicants will look good "on paper" - a degree from Harvard looks pretty impressive on the resume. Often, applicants without the degree, but with real world skills, are overlooked. Dig a little deeper, though, and it's the person who has actually been working in the field that you want giving you input and working towards your bottom line.These people have not always had a degree to back up their experience - now, online Life Experience schools give them the ability to quantify the things they have learned in the real world, lessons they can apply in a work setting with a proficiency and knowledge their traditionally-graduated counterparts will only learn from experience.

by: kivripley (F/USA)
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Have you had experiences with any of the universities we list on DegreeAdvice.com? Please tell us about it. We will post your experience on our blog. Don't worry, we will strip your name and e-mail address to protect your identity.

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I received this email the other day and wanted to respond ASAP.

The question:
I would like to know which institution is better to obtain an online high school diploma or GED (based on life experience) that can be accredited and available for employer's verification and to go to college.

My Opinion:
I would suggest that you take your GED exam. You do not want to have any problems or set back trying to enter college. We have placed new information on our site located at life_long_learning.html concerning the positives and negatives of life experience degrees.

Many people have a misconception about life experience degrees. The schools actually look at your employment and life history before they will issue you a degree. Many people get turned down for these degree programs. You are going to have to put time in the work place for experience to receive a life experience degree or you are going to need to study hard to accomplish it the traditional way.

The Editor
http://www.degreeadvice.com

I would like to share this email that I received a couple days ago. I have been holding it until I could get this blasted Blog going.

"I just finished watching the news where the reporter said there was something like 500 unaccredited colleges on the Internet. Wow. That’s a lot. Must be a competitive market out there.

Of course it was the same newscast we have seen since 1978 when Columbia and LaSalle were selling fake degrees out of a warehouse in Louisiana. The players are different, but the story is always the same. At the end of the story the message is that you should check to see that the university is accredited by one of the 6 or 8 “officially” recognized accrediting institutions.

And so the story goes that the degree or diploma is not worth the money it’s printed on. Don’t waste your money – comes the final blow at the end of the newscast.

We have all seen this story on 60 Minutes, CNN, CBS Evening News, ABC News, and other sources. Sometimes they quote the self-proclaimed diploma mill expert, John Bear. Bear makes his money by writing books about diploma mills and “enlightening” people on the “facts.” So if you are interested in a school and want to know if Bear thinks it’s a diploma mill, just run out and buy his book for $29.95.

Before getting my degree from Almeda University, I set out to learn as much as I could by it. While they publish testimonials on their web site, I am sure Almeda does not publish complaints.

I read lots of different opinions about them. Some people said it was a diploma mill, and some said it was not. Almeda seems to fit the fine line between legitimate and not legitimate. While they are NOT regionally accredited, they DO offer real online business and technical courses. And while they do offer life experience degrees, you still have to be approved.

One report said a fellow’s dog got his degree from Almeda, but when I asked for proof – a copy or Rover’s diploma, he was unable to provide.

I looked at hundreds of web sites looking for clues to the legitimacy of Almeda University. I came up with conflicting reports.

So I decided to do some self-investigation. I called them to learn the approval process, which of course includes some review of my credentials. I also found out what the fee would be if I was approved and wanted to pay for my degree. Then I did something nobody else would do; I got their payment address and sent them a check for $610 telling them that I was approved for a BS degree with a concentration in Business Administration. (The check was from a checking account that only had $9.98 so it would bounce).

I didn’t hear a thing for about 10 days, then I got the check back in the mail with a note that read “we have not reviewed your credentials and you have not been approved for a degree. Therefore we are unable to accept your payment”. The letter also told me how to proceed if I wanted to apply.

After quite some time, I decided to go all out. I learned that if I was not happy with my Almeda degree, I could return it for a full refund. Lets do it, I thought.

I had visions of John Bear in his penthouse apartment and silk smoking jacket telling me I should have bought his $29.95 book first. That the diploma is not worth the money it’s printed on. There goes my $600. Will I ever see my money again? Will I get my money’s worth?

After some rigmarole getting approved (I had to fax proof of certain accomplishments in my life etc.) I was finally approved for the BSBA degree I so highly sought.

The payment process was incredibly smooth. Rather high-tech for a “bogus” college.

Five days later my package arrived. With my diploma as expected, I got a few bonuses: a nameplate for my nonexistent desk and an Almeda T shirt size XL (how’d they know?).

I had at least 15 interviews with the resume that lists the Almeda degree, and not once has it been questioned.

I am here and gainfully employed. Does my employer know I got my degree from Life Experience? Yes, and he couldn't care less because I am doing a good job."

Thank you for sharing your experience with one of the schools we reviewsed.

The Editor
http://www.degreeadvice.com

We have added more information under What is a life experience degree and how does it work
and Learn About Life Experience Degrees.


The Editor
http://www.degreeadvice.com