Our recommendations are for those who fall into two groups: First, those who are considering study at a school with an eye on transferring later to a regionally accredited school (either in the middle of a degree program or by going on to a higher degree). Second, those that have already attended a school and have credits that are unacceptable for transfer.
If you're considering pursuing college credits and/or a degree by distance learning, your safest option is to do so with a regionally accredited school. Schools accredited by DETC are often more flexible, less time consuming, and less expensive, and if you are sure a degree from such a school will meet your present and future needs (it is very hard to be so sure), then a degree from one of these schools may be a good option. But if you intend to pursue further studies at a regionally accredited school, you might find your credits/degrees unacceptable and yourself out of luck.
The same advice applies to those considering study at unaccredited schools, only more so. Students and graduates from unaccredited schools can expect a chilly reception from the admissions offices at regionally accredited schools. Under almost no circumstances will they find their credits and/or degrees acceptable.
Students considering study at foreign schools may find better luck; every school contacted accepted credits and degrees from foreign schools. But expect to go through some extra evaluation of your credentials before they are accepted. (Increasingly, degree programs are available to people living in the U.S. from universities as far flung as Australia and South Africa.)
And if you've already earned credits or degrees, only to find them turned away? Well, you have a couple of options. First, you can take examinations for credit, based on the knowledge you gained from your courses. Thousands of regionally accredited schools will accept these examinations. Second, you can prepare a life-experience portfolio for credit; again, based on the knowledge you gained from your courses (and anywhere else in your life!). You could even do the portfolio and have the credits awarded by one school, then transfer those credits to your school of choice. Finally, you can stay with your school (or a similar one), and accept the limitations that come with it.
When it comes to transferring credits and degrees, regional accreditation has been referred to as the "gold standard." While accreditation doesn't necessarily signify excellence in a school, it almost assuredly means your credits and degrees will be accepted by other accredited schools. But if you stray off the path a bit, the situation gets murkier. Foreign schools seem acceptable, nationally accredited schools much less so. And unaccredited schools -- whose degrees may have some utility in the workplace -- have almost none at all.
Consumers need to choose wisely, not only for their present situations, but for future ones as well. The choices they make, either good bad, will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
A native Californian, Rich Douglas has spent the last 22 years working with professionals in the public and private sectors as an educational counselor, trainer, and Air Force officer. He holds two bachelor's degrees from The University of the State of New York (now Excelsior College) and an MBA from National University. Rich is a doctoral candidate in nontraditional higher education with The Union Institute. He lives in Northern Virginia with his family. Now retired from the Air Force, he's a senior trainer with AT&T.
