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DIPLOMA MILLS
Diploma mills pretend to be accredited universities,
but rather than offer degrees for the completion
of coursework, they sell diplomas. |
Degree mills have existed for hundreds of years, but are now flourishing. There are dozens of places where one can buy a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate for amounts ranging from less than $100 to $3000. Inexpensive laser printers and color copiers have made it easy for these sham universities to offer phony diplomas.
The demand for fake degrees is fueled in part by a tough economy. Job seekers are desperate to do whatever they can to secure employment. Many diploma mills prey on people’s lack of knowledge about accreditation and often advertise that they are “fully accredited” when it’s simply not true. The accreditation is usually the name of an unrecognized or false agency.
Why are diploma mills allowed to operate?
One of the reasons fake schools continue to exist is that it is difficult to accurately define the term “diploma mill.” Naturally, any school that will send you a Ph.D. for $100 is a fraud, but what about the school that requires a twenty-page dissertation? And no one wants the government evaluating dissertations before a degree is granted. The main reason degree mills are successful is that people continue to buy their product. Despite evidence to the contrary, some people think they can get away with adding a phony degree to their resume.
What is being done to stop the degree mills?
In the late 1970s, the FBI launched an operation called DipScam (for Diploma Scam). This agency methodically investigated degree-granting institutions across the country and shut down many diploma mills in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the task force was dissolved in 1996 when the agency’s head, Allen Ezell, retired. Even though the project is no longer active, the FBI, postal inspectors and some state agencies are still working to keep phony degrees from being sold.
How can I tell if a university is legitimate or a diploma mill?
The Better Business Bureau suggests you watch for these warning signs:
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Degrees that can be
earned in less time than at a traditional college
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A list of accrediting agencies
that sounds a little too impressive. Some schools
list accreditation by organizations that are not
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
When in doubt, check with the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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Offers that place heavy emphasis
on awarding college credits for real world experience
may be suspicious. |
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Tuition paid on a per-degree basis.
Traditional colleges charge by credit hours, course,
or semester. |
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Little or no interaction with professors. |
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Names that are similar to well-known,
reputable universities can be fraudulent. |
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University addresses that list
post office box numbers. That campus may very well
be a mail drop box. |
If you still
have doubts, contact your Better Business Bureau or state
attorney general’s office to make sure the school
is operating legally in a state and to see if anyone has
filed a complaint.
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