How to Find Out If an Online High School Diploma Is Real?

Because creating and selling diplomas has become a big business, it can be difficult to determine if a diploma is genuine. It's important to know whether or not your diploma is real because a counterfeit diploma,or one that is not recognized, can result in a loss of a job or the inability to enroll in a college that requires a high school diploma.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Check to see if the school is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To find out if an accrediting agency is legitimate, check the list of recognized national and regional accrediting agencies maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation at www.chea.org.

2. Double-check information presented by the school. If the school claims that it is accredited by one of the associations on the list of regional and national associations, contact the association by telephone and ask if the school is indeed accredited.

3. View the school's website. Check to see if the school require little to no coursework (simply writing an essay), yet charges a fee to receive the diploma. This could be a red flag that the school is not legitimate. Also, if the school is relatively new, or has recently changed its name, further investigation to determine its legitimacy may be necessary.

4. Contact a local community or 4-year college, and ask if they admit students with a diploma from the online high school school.

Tips & Warnings

• Some virtual high schools allow you to use credit earned from a traditional brick and mortar school, or coursework from another program, but you must provide a transcript.

• Online diplomas can look like the real thing. Never trust looks alone.

References

• Degree Mills

Resources

• Recognized Dept. of Education Accreditation Agencies