It’s no secret that the for-profit college industry is thriving in the United States. I won’t mention any names, but I’ll put it this way: if you’ve ever watched daytime television, you know the key players. Their advertisements are relentless.
While some of these for-profit institutions undoubtedly offer a respectable education, others are what the U.S. Department of Education terms “diploma mills” – schools that churn out bogus degrees in exchange for payment and “life experience.”
Unfortunately, one of the more lucrative target demographics for unscrupulous colleges is members of the Armed Forces, many of whom sacrifice their own educational opportunities to serve our nation. Federal employees and contractors – often requiring advanced, technical degrees for hiring or promotion – can also fall prey to diploma mill scams.
GI Bill funds are unavailable to true diploma mills, but many for-profit colleges walk a fine line between that designation and legitimacy. No matter whether you are military, a civilian federal employee, or a federal contractor, using a degree obtained from a questionable school to your advantage in hiring or promotion can land you in hot water. At a minimum, it can be viewed as a sign of dishonesty that calls your security clearance into question. If you are in doubt about whether a particular school is legitimate, here are a few questions to ask.
Is The School Accredited?
With rare exception, almost all legitimate institutions are accredited by a national and/or regional accrediting organization such as the Middle State Commission on Higher Education or the Higher Learning Commission. Accreditation doesn’t necessarily guarantee a quality education, but it does at least guarantee some degree of outside, independent oversight. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes seven accrediting organizations, which you can find listed on that agency’s website (along with a list of schools that have attained accreditation). But beware: many diploma mills are “accredited” by similarly sounding accrediting organizations that are just as bogus as the colleges they purport to have accredited. Similarly, some diploma mills intentionally give themselves names very similar to those of legitimate institutions. If you still have questions, another way to determine whether the school is legitimate is to inquire whether credits you earn there will transfer. Don’t ask the prospective school this; try calling a local state university and asking that question.
Does The School Offer Degrees for “Life Experience” or Little to No Work?
A school that offers a degree for little or no work or which purports to offer you credits for your “life experience” should be a major red flag. If you claim a degree from a school like this on your resume, it is only a matter of time before it is discovered by human resources officials or security clearance investigators. When that happens, it will be assumed that you intended to defraud your employer – which would be grounds for a security clearance revocation under the adjudicative guidelines, and grounds for termination from your job for dishonesty. Whatever short term gains you might receive from that fake diploma are not worth the inevitable results.
Does The School Employ Pushy Recruiters?
Few legitimate colleges engage in aggressive and pushy recruitment tactics, one of the hallmarks of the for-profit college industry. An aggressive sales pitch isn’t necessarily a smoking gun that you’re dealing with a diploma mill, but related issues – like the claim that you can earn your degree for one flat fee or that you can earn your degree in a just days or weeks – are sure signs that you are in for trouble. Be equally wary about recruiters who make seemingly fantastic claims (“our graduates earn a guaranteed six figure salary”) or offer you enrollment incentives like a laptop or gift cards. If you smell desperation, look elsewhere.
The prospect of obtaining a degree for minimal work – or simply for writing a check – is understandably enticing, but I highly advise considering the long-term implications of such a move. Not having the right degree may cost you the job of the moment, but getting terminated or losing your security clearance for lying may cost you your career. If you are already in a situation where you have concerns about your resume, I strongly recommend that you consult with an attorney to discuss your options for proactively bringing the matter to your employer’s attention. This can sometimes help minimize fallout and would be considered positively by security clearance adjudicators.
