Presidents Who Were College Athletes

Two top officials of community college are found to have doctorates from unaccredited institutions, raising questions about why nobody noticed their credentials before, and why no rules appear to be broken. Look for schools recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. When looking at a school, search for it on the websites for those two agencies. Respectable, accredited institutions ask for tuition by credit hour or by class. An online check by one group revealed more than 370 educational websites offering fraudulent degrees for those willing to pay. One element that potential students can look for is regional accreditation.

With advertisements that claim that you can earn a degree in a week, it is hard to believe that many people who receive bogus degrees are misled into thinking they will be receiving a degree from a reputable institution. Thus, the approach taken by the State of Oregon, which prohibits individuals from presenting degrees from degree mills for employment in the state, may be the best offense against degree mills. Upon a first offense, the individual is warned to cease and desist; a second occurrence is subject to a fine. Laws that would have the effect of reducing the market for bogus degrees may ultimately be more effective in eliminating degree mills than more direct avenues.

On August 3, 2012 Herguan University, an unaccredited school, was served with a notice of intent to withdraw its SEVP certification.Herguan's CEO has been indicted on visa fraud charges. In February 2005, the US Department of Education launched "The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs" to combat the spread of fraudulent degrees. Under the Higher Education Support Act 2003, corporations wishing to use the term "university" require approval from the relevant government minister, the Minister for Education (as of May 2010). Instead of "hard sciences", where competence is easier to verify, the subjects offered by a diploma mill are often esoteric and may be based on a pseudoscience like astrology or naturopathy. Such subjects are only vaguely defined, making external verification of educational standards difficult. Related practices are direct document forgery of certificates and corrupt buying of degrees from otherwise legitimate universities, although neither require a separate "mill".