“Anything worth having is worth working for!” We’ve all heard this adage at one time or another, but does it bear any relevance on your education? The answer is a resounding ‘YES!’ Degree farms would have you believe that your degree can be obtained easily and for a fraction of the cost you would pay for an accredited college degree, but this simply is not the case. The fake degrees granted by degree farms carry little, if any, real weight in the real world. If you are anxious to invest in your future, rely heavily on the old adage, “You get what you pay for.”

While schools vary greatly in price, you will generally pay per credit or per course and receive both practical and academic instruction from qualified instructors. Degree farms, on the other hand, charge a fee, ship you materials, and send you a purposeless certificate, diploma or degree upon completion. The certificate, diploma or degree will make for great conversation and might even cover a crack in your wall, but beyond that, it is useless. You are not ‘certified’ to enter the workforce with a fake degree. You’ve wasted your time and money.

So how do you distinguish a degree farm from a reputable, degree-granting school? Look for accreditation. Accreditation is issued to colleges, universities and other institutes of learning after they have undergone the rigorous review process of an Accrediting Agency. The Accrediting Agency, itself, is closely monitored and held to standards of practice, also. This means that the Accrediting Agency is reputable and qualified to issue accreditation, and that the college, university or other institute of learning has met and/or exceeded the agency’s academic standards. Degree farms are not accredited by a reputable Accrediting Agency to issue degrees. Therefore, an accredited college degree from a Nationally Accredited school has earned you the right to gain employment across the Nation under your degree credentials, but the degree farm degree has not.

Knowing that prospective students are in the market to earn an accredited college degree, degree farms may ‘create’ their own accrediting agencies to make it appear as if they are accredited. Not to fear! We will not allow you to be fooled! If you are unsure about the accrediting agency associated with a particular school, immediately research the school’s financial aid section. Do they offer FAFSA? No? Then run away! Degree farms are prohibited from participating in Federal student aid programs, so you will never find a degree farm that offers FAFSA.

Don’t be fooled by bargain prices or ‘quicky’ degrees. A college degree takes time and effort to earn, but you reap the benefits in the end. Degree farms are misleading and, quite frankly, those who promote them do so with cruel motives! How dare they waste your time and manipulate your hopes and dreams! Do your research and commit yourself to working hard to gain something worth having. Do more with your accredited college degree than just hang it on a wall!