How to Know if an Online College is Accredited?

There are numerous online colleges nowadays. This is to cater busy people who don't have the time to travel to school in order to study. This is an advantage for busy moms, people with businesses and the likes.

Many colleges online are now certified to be accredited but before we go further on the details of accreditation, let us first define what accreditation is. Accreditation is the review and evaluation of academic programs in a certain school. The reason for accrediting schools is because it ensures the quality of teaching and educational curriculum to the students. So basically, accreditation is for the student’s sakes.

Nowadays, online colleges aren't just accredited by one agency but rather some of them have numerous accrediting agencies. There are numerous accrediting agencies for online colleges and some of these are: International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities (IAAOU), Board of Online Universities (BOUA), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS), World Online Education Accrediting Commission (WOEA), and Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA).

The accreditation for online colleges is really important for various reasons. If you are a student of an accredited online college, you can be rest assured that you are enrolled in an institution that meets the standard of criteria in academics. There are even times that the said institution will exceed in the required standards that an institution must have. Accreditation is also important in order for your school to be acknowledged by other schools or institutions, professional organizations and employers as well.

An accrediting agency has board of members wherein their main job is to thoroughly evaluate the integrity, quality and as well as over all performance of the said online school, college or institution. They all undergo the same process of reviewing the said school in terms of the administration, the college’s mission and as well as vision, platforms on education, policies, associated services for students and even financial status.

These things are the minimum requirements in order for them to give an accreditation grade. Once a school passes the said accreditation it doesn't mean that it will stop from there. The review and evaluation will be done on a regular basis such as annually. This is to ensure that the said school gives continues quality service.

So the next time you plan to enroll in an online college, be sure that the school that you will be applying is accredited.