Why is Accreditation Important While Selecting a College?

In the U.S., post-secondary education is not monitored by any specific agency or cabinet. Because of this, accreditation was created so that the quality of education being received by students attending colleges and universities was more transparent. When choosing a degree program, one important factor to consider is to check which agencies have accredited the school or the program in which you are interested. Visit the school's website and look for the accreditation symbols. Most colleges will have a page devoted to accreditation but if you are still not satisfied, contact the issuing authority to find out more information. Even though accreditation may not seem the likely place to begin when investigating your college, it is a reliable starting point of an indication of the institution's academic offerings and to decide whether it's the best investment of your money and time.

So, how does a program get accredited? In short, schools applying for accreditation must provide the following information in order to be considered. They must provide a clear mission statement along with the program outlines and curriculum. Information on the methods of instruction and testing materials have to be mentioned with the necessary study instructions and learning resources. There has to be evidence of proper record keeping and regular student surveys in addition to faculty and administration background information. Only once all this paper work is submitted to the concerned body and approved, can a program receive accreditation. It is obvious then that becoming accredited is a rigorous process and programs that receive accreditation have ultimately proven their worth as legitimate teaching institutions.

But, why go through all this in the first place? Basically, accreditation assures the student of the following:

- That he or she is entitled to equal rights of admission, registration, counseling, placement and orientation as every other student. This is important if you are opting for a long distance learning program.

- If the school or college is not accredited by a nationally recognized accredited organization, the school is then unable to participate in any student aid programs offered by the government. For students, this means that you will not be eligible for any student loans or federal grants. Accreditation also ensures that all Federal Aid funds are being used effectively.

- Future employers will rarely reimburse the tuition of any employee who has attended a school that is not accredited.

- If your career demands a state licensure exam, it is common for states to require that a college, university, or program be accredited before allowing students to acquire licensure.

- Coursework or even a degree from an accredited institution can help you qualify for admission to other higher degree programs.

- Transfer of credits is only possible from one college to another, if both are accredited.

- Applying for a job after you graduate might prove to be difficult if your qualifications or degree has been granted by a school that is not accredited. In short, your entire education might be proved to be a waste of time, effort and money. Most employers review a job applicant's educational history to make sure that he or she has received his or her education from a college, university, or program with accreditation and if not, this could hamper the chances of future employment.

In spite of all the regulations and rules, keep in mind that there are college accreditation associations that are not legitimate. Some colleges - so called 'diploma mills' create their own accrediting authority and then grant themselves "accreditation." So, always be careful and dig deeper when investigating the accreditation of the college of your choice. There are basically only TWO large organizations in the U.S. that recognize accrediting agencies and give them the required validation. These are the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). You can visit US Department of Education website (ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/index.html) and CHEA website (CHEA.org) for a complete list of the accrediting agencies that these two bodies recognize.

To summarize, accreditation is a tool used to evaluate, monitor and assess the quality and standards of education offered by a college or institution. It instills trust in students, parents, and faculty alike that the education being offered is worthwhile and of value. Another objective of accreditation is to achieve positive outcomes in learning. Colleges, whose students consistently fail to achieve a particular level of performance, also come under the evaluation of the accreditation agency concerned.

However, if a college degree program you are interested in does not have a recognized accreditation, it also could mean that the program or institution is new and has not yet met all the minimum requirements for accreditation. You should research the college as much as possible and think of the long term consequences before signing up for anything. Ultimately, it is your education at stake. When in doubt - look it up!

Stevens-Henager College was established in 1891 and is distinguished as one of the oldest colleges in Utah. It has trained generations of graduates through its on-campus and online programs for Master's, Bachelor's, and Associate's Degrees. Stevens-Henager College also offers FastFlex online degree programs for working professionals. Stevens-Henager's online degree program and FastFlex degree programs help enhance your career and your qualifications, while placement staff helps to find exciting job openings and even setting up interviews as well.

Best of the Web's Teachers' Resources

If you have specific subject or query in mind, then Google really is the teachers pet. Here is a collection of some of my favourites, and what you can find when you log on:

Teacher Planet - A bang up to date resource featuring Spring & Summer Season lessons, plans, worksheets, tools, certificates and more.

UsingEnglish - Free English teacher resources for of all levels including hundreds of printable handouts, PDF lesson plans, online quizzes, jobs, articles, teacher discussion forum and more...

TES Connect - The online version of The Times Educational Supplement. TES is an invaluable resource for industry news, views and ideas, reports and opinions; covering primary, secondary and further education.

The Foundation Stage Forum - This UK based site focuses on the early year's education sector and those involved in education with children aged 3 to 5 years. The site provides resources and information and other materials that have been identified via needs discussed in the active forums.

Primary Resources - Containing those all important lesson plans, work and activity sheets. This site is suitable for teachers of all curriculum subjects; English, Maths, ICT, Science, Geography, History, Music, Languages and Art.

50 Must-Read Up and Coming Blogs by Teachers - Find, browse and read blogs by other teachers like you!

TeacherLingo - It's an online community for teachers to share thoughts and ideas and to discuss current events. Members can start a free teacher blog and more.

And finally

TeacherNet - This UK site lists literally hundred s of intelligent teaching resources, whatever your level or discipline.

If you are seeking education recruitment, the internet was built for you! In a job where armfuls of ideas, resources, plans and creativity are necessary (and changeable) by the hour, the opportunity to browse, trade and learn is invaluable.

Kellie Whitehead writes job related content for http://TheEducationProfessionals.Com, the number one online resource for those seeking an education career in Dubai and the Middle East.

Six Study Tips For the Online Learner

How in the world do you block off time between running around behind the kids, cook dinner, do laundry, prepare for work the next day, sit in unmovable traffic, and attempt an A in a distance learning course? Your study skills are challenged, you have limited time to sit down and prepare resources for a discussion question or a test. So what do you do, you strengthen your study skills with these six easy steps:

1.) Ask family or friends for help. Many of you who have children will definitely need to heed this advice. As a mom myself, it's hard to set aside an hour or two a couple times a week to devote to studying, posting discussion answers and submitting assignments. So, who helps? The spouse and my parents. So parents, who are doing a great justice to your professional growth by pursuing an education online, you need help to manage the children, especially the smaller ones.

2.) Read assigned chapters at least 30-45 minutes a day. Use a highlighter to capture important points. Read over any sentences that may stump you. Write notes or questions to the side that catch your attention to refer back to later.

3.) If there are important concepts to learn or theories to master, make a chart or table to compare or contrast the concepts for the unit your class is working on.

4.) Application of learned concepts. What's the use of learning something if you don't know how to apply them to real life? Write examples on how you would use the concepts on a daily basis or scenerio.

5.) Work the questions at the end of the chapter, even if they are not assigned. This will help you with Tip #4.

6.) Do your best to not study in bed or when you are the most tired. You will not get anything done and you will instantly feel sleepy because you are in a comfortable state. Try a kitchen table or a desk, get some good lighting and play very soft music without words to stimulate your mind. This will help you retain information much better.

Bonus Tip***: Use additional resources that the instructor lists in the syllabus.

Make a routine of your study time, try to find out when you are most alert and motivated. For example, I am a morning person. My study times are mostly done around the morning hours, because at night, I usually set aside time for clients, household duties, and writing articles. Find your time where you are studying effectively. But most of all, make sure you master your learning experience.

Jayna Butler is the Founder of P&P Life and Educational Consulting Services. With a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and pursuing a Masters degree in Counseling Studies from Capella University, she started P&P Consulting to help others obtain their dreams. She has experience in Sales, Management, over 9 years working with youth groups, 5 years working in Nonprofit and Job Coaching, Higher Education Administration, and Recruiting/Staffing. P&P Consulting works with Clients in 3 specialities, Educational/Collegiate Consulting, Career Counseling/Development, and Confidence/Self-Esteem Coaching. Her professional organizational memberships include the Association of Career and Technical Education and the Tennessee Association of Guidance and Career Development. Based on the scripture Jeremiah 29:11, this consulting agency works with clients to guide, focus, and bring results to clients plan and find their true purpose. She works with college students, adult learners, business owners, and other organizations. She resides in Memphis, TN with her loving husband and 1-year old daughter.

For more information: Visit http://www.purposeandplan.org

Blog & More Articles: http://purposeandplan.blogspot.com

Benefits of Taking Online University Courses

The advent of the internet has given students many more opportunities than in the past. The people who feel they couldn't receive an education in a normal classroom now have the chance to get a degree or diploma via an online university. Some people are attached to traditional universities, but nevertheless, there are several benefits of online universities.

1. Unlimited access is provided by online universities. Location does not matter at all for online universities. Regardless of whether you are feeling unwell, paying a visit to a relative who is ailing, or you are away from your local university, you can nevertheless go to an online school. There is no restriction for anyone from attending and this is the advantage of an online university. If you have an internet connection and a computer, you can attend a university online.

2. You can save more money this way. A great way to save money is by utilizing the advantages of online universities. Other than your education fee there is nothing else to be paid. This campus has no library, no recreation room, no janitors! Why? Because it is all online. Enrolling in an online university will not incur any additional fees as you do not have to pay for extra services. Universities online only offer the necessities to students so it permits students to save a great amount of money every year.

3. Scheduling presents no difficulty. Online universities also have the benefit of being flexible. Say that you have a doctor appointment during the 10:00 a.m. class online, you are able to view the recorded lesson via webcast whenever you get home. You can participate in online group chat sessions at late a night, after you finish work and see the messages your classmates have posted several hours earlier. Online university programs do not have rigid schedules. You can have the craziest family and work schedule imaginable, and it won't matter. You can study and take classes on your own time at your own pace. You can have your meetings when it is convenient for you. If you go to school online, you will always be able to reconcile your school schedule and your life schedule.

4. There is access to a better quality of professors. Qualified professors are often enticed to teach at online universities. There is no need to travel to the university each day and so more intelligent and experienced professors are available for online teaching. Students at online universities get the chance to be taught by some of the nation's most elite professors since the location and scheduling is so convenient for everyone. Every year online universities are becoming more popular.Because they provide greater access to the average student as well as the experienced professor, universities online fill in the funding and location gaps that simply cannot be bridged by the traditional education system.

Tiffany Provost writes about School and Education for HowToDoThings.com.

Online Degree Programs Facts

There is always much less hassle in earning an online degree in relative to the degree offered by the traditional universities because you can fix the time you want to receive your courses by yourself. These and many other excellent features of this learning studying method have made many people to enroll for online degree program. Consequently, busy executives, mothers who are always at home and lots of individuals with busy lives prefer earning their degrees online..

Cautiously performed research has show that the majority of big universities currently organize online degree programs. In view of that, many individuals can comfortably obtain their degree in there respective desired field for instance, online business administration degree, online accounting degree and so on.

Online accredited degrees which are run in a school are the ones that are officially endorsed to be managed by the institution with the set out guidelines. Always try to make certain that your school of choice for an online learning is one that is well accredited especially for the particular degree in view.

Study conducted by similarly examining both regular and online student proved that both group scored same mark and therefore their certificates are the same thing. A good number of online degree graduates are being hired by managers of good companies. Moreover, employers usually admit the hard-working attitude usually associated with them.

It's crucial for you to take a comparative study for each cost per credit of the various online degree courses you wish to choose from. As you do this, you will properly make a choice of a course you can pay for at ease.

Fleming passionately writes to enlighten people about Online Degrees and has made tremendous success as an online tutor with several years of experience. Recommended: Visit http://myonlinedegree.fateback.com for more information and also see his personal blog http://on-linedegree.blogspot.com which has many free useful online degree resource materials.

6 Ways to Change Your Ecourse to Make Even MORE Money

I'm often quoted as saying "An Ecourse is the backbone of your internet business." Well, today I'm going to give you a little information as to what I'm talking about. You see, once you create your ecourse, you can repurpose it into several different mediums to give your business more "internet cred" and makes you look more like the expert in your field.

So, let's get into what else you can do with your completed ecourse:

Articles: You can take each episode of your ecourse and turn it into articles to help market your business. Since each episode of the ecourse should be at least one idea on it's own, just turn it into one article. You now have instant FREE marketing!

Ebook: Each episode of your ecourse can be a summary for a chapter in an ebook. All you do is expand on the ideas you've already presented.

Audio Program: You can find several recording devices over the internet. Get one of them, speak your ecourse into the recorder, add that recording to your website and you now have a audio program based on your ecourse.

Teleseminar: Conduct a teleseminar based on your ecourse. Use each episode as a guideline for the teleseminar. You can also use that recorded teleseminar as an additional product on your website.

Mini Guide: Different from an Ebook as this is more like a study guide. Make it like a school-text-book type of product. You can include exercises for the reader to do as well.

Interview: This one requires another person, but the same concept as a teleseminar. Have someone interview you bases on your ecourse. You can even provide the questions you would like your interviewer to ask you.

There you have it, 6 additional ways you can take your ecourse and repurpose it into money making products that have all been proven to sell. Each one of these repurposing ideas has the potential to take your business to new heights.

Now, I'm inviting you to check out interviews from the experts. If you have an ecourse or product you would like to be interviewed on, this may work for you as well. Check out http://www.EcourseInterviewSeries.com to get more information.

Should You Pursue an Online Degree Program?

It's not news that getting a college degree will help you financially - this is now common knowledge. And we would all agree that in this global economic crisis, the more education you have the better you'll fare in the job market. But it's worth looking at some of the larger reasons why starting an online degree program is a great idea.

The first reason is that it will force you to learn new things. It's not a pretty thing to admit, but most of us need a little nudge when it comes to learning new things. Human nature, as we all know from personal experience, tends to prefer the easy to the difficult. If you've always dreamed about owning your own business, you'll probably need to read many books and talk to many people - and all of this requires work and effort. If you enroll in an online degree program in business, you'll have a curriculum that will push you along.

Here's one obvious, but often overlooked benefit of going to college - you'll have to read dozens of books. For bookworms this is a pleasing prospect, but for many Americans today, the thought of reading more than a cereal box is not promising. Yet despite our resistance to the time and effort it takes to read, we all know that learning, thinking and knowledge are tied to reading - and overall success in an online degree program.

Did you notice that as soon as you left high school you started doing less and less new things? Do you find that you don't discover new ideas and pastimes the way you once did? If that's the case - don't worry - because in your online degree program, you'll have to take courses that are bound to expose you to new things. Even if you love computers and are majoring in computer science, you'll still have to satisfy a science or English requirement, for example, and you never know what interest that will spark.

The world is not a simple place. Find that you can't always follow the details of the country's economic, financial and political challenges? Perhaps it's because you never took a class in economics or politics. As a university student you'll have to choose a number of electives to gain the necessary credits to graduate, and who knows, you might just take a political science class and get fired up enough to run for city council. Until you've been introduced to a new subject in a thoughtful, engaging way, you'll never know if it's something you'll develop a real interest in.

Perseverance is most certainly a virtue, and if you plan to complete your online degree program, you'll have to develop perseverance. And while it's certainly true that you can develop this virtue in any number of fields or life situations, finishing you degree will require you to make a consistent effort, and in the end, you will only benefit from this kind of effort.

There's no doubt that starting an online degree program is the right move for your financial future, but don't overlook the fact that you'll also have the opportunity to learn and grow as a person and as a citizen as you study for your degree.

Asri Joda is a marketing agent for accredited online school and accredited online degrees in California USA. Obtain your career education while serving in military with 100% military scholarships and military spouse scholarship today.