With the increased demand for education in many business entities, especially the health care industry, we are finding the emergence of multiple vocational/technical programs that market themselves as the answer for individuals in search of high-paying employment opportunities.
The reality is that there are far too many vocational/technical programs today are “diploma mills,” offering only false promises in exchange for a very high tuition.
A diploma mill is an educational institution that is not accredited by a federal regulatory agency to ensure educational guidelines are being met.
This does not mean a diploma mill cannot be accredited, as paperwork sent to these accrediting agencies can be easily be prepared to make a program appear within protocols of the accrediting organization.
Unfortunately, today we find diploma mills have become the, as many spend a great deal of money in the marketing of students to enter their individual programs with promises of quality education by quality instructors, financial help, job-seeking support and a certificate/diploma that high-paying employers are eagerly looking for.
In the case of these diploma mills, there are no quality education or quality instructors, little financial aid, minimal if any job placement and certificates or diplomas that may be worth only the paper they are written on.
These schools generally prey on those who would normally be unable to attend a college offered by the state, such as the community college setting, and offer them an alternative that is publicized to be even better than the state school.
One program in the Denver area even offers a free laptop to be given in exchange for a signature on a contract that has the newly enrolled student paying $40,000 to $80,000 to complete either their associate of arts or bachelor of science degree.
Diploma mills are a part of life, and because of this, we unfortunately see too many students” dreams shattered with false promises of a bright and secure future.
In the beginning, these students see the government offering student loans that will pay the high tuition associated and are blinded by the potential high-paying opportunities upon signing the contract presented.
What they do not see until it is too late is years or decades of student loans to be paid on a monthly basis and little education in comparison with students who enrolled with state educational institutions. More importantly, there is a lack of employment opportunities that were promised.
If we were to do a survey of those who have attended many of these schools, we would discover the sad stories of those unable to find jobs — and who have monthly student loans to pay back — outnumber those who
find success within their chosen vocation.
So what does one do to ensure that they do not become a statistic of these diploma mills? Here are four things to look for when considering enrollment in a vocational/technical school:
* Is the tuition offered comparable to other educational institutions? You need to shop around to compare if what you are getting is comparable to other institutions that offer the same thing. Some vocational/technical institutions will try to make you believe that you are getting more value, when the reality is that you may be paying too much tuition when compared to other institutions. In some cases you will find these diploma mills charging not only thousands but tens of thousands more dollars than necessary for your chosen vocation.
* What are the criteria necessary to enter the vocational/technical school? If there are no criteria necessary besides you are alive and you have an ability to receive financial aid from the government, then you most likely are enrolling yourself in a diploma mill.
* Are the units transferrable to other educational institutions? If other educational institutions do not accept your credit hours from the institution you are applying for, there is a good reason. Getting a certificate or degree and finding you have to start all over again, to further your education because they are not recognized by others, is a predicament that should be avoided. Realize starting over again does not take away money owed.
* Are the instructors qualified to instruct the classes you will be taking? Many diploma mills have difficulty in finding instructors with the experience as most money is spent on marketing and much less is available for qualified instructors. In diploma mills, it is not uncommon to find former students instructing classes they know little of except for taking the class themselves.
Much money is spent in the marketing of these schools to make the individual in search of the “golden opportunity,” to believe that the school will do all it can for them in the offering of a solid education and job opportunities galore. With this in mind, anything can be said and not be legally binding, realize highly trained staff will tell you essentially what you want to hear.
It is unfortunate, as it is very difficult to find out if you are being lied to or misinformed, so you need to advocate for yourself in doing the proper homework in ensuring that the school you are enrolling in is structurally sound. This may involve effort on your part with multiple questions to former students, potential employers and other schools around the area as to the validity of the school you are thinking of becoming a part of.
In a way we find diploma mills to be no different than the car dealership as we find they both offer slick television commercials, newspaper ads and salesmanship, in the case of the dealership, as in the education you are seeking, this does not necessary mean the vehicle sold will get you to your destination. Use common sense as your guide when choosing a school to attend; if you find the marketing of the school you are looking into sounds too good to be true, it almost always is not true.
Joe Medina lives in Denver. Guest commentaries of up to 650 words can be submitted to openforum@denverpost.com.
