Recently, a major newspaper that serves the Greater Washington, D. C., area ran a story about an Internet-based “diploma mill” that operated out of Washington state. The organization, run by a 58-year-old woman and two members of her family, grossed $6 million from 1999 to 2005. It has now been shut down by Washington state officials, though others are believed to still exist. The diploma mill sold college degrees from St. Regis University, Ameritech University and James Monroe University. It also sold counterfeit diplomas from George Washington University, the University of Maryland and Texas A&M University. Young adults should be mindful of the problem of diploma mills as they prepare for college this fall. To protect themselves, they should deal only with institutions that have both regional and professional accreditation in their chosen field of study.

Generally, students are safe if they attend a college or university that has been accredited by one of the six major regional accrediting associations. In Virginia, that means the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The names of the other accrediting associations are available from the U. S. Department of Education or from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. But regional accreditation is only a first step. Students must then determine if the school they will be attending has professional accreditation as well. That means that the school has passed a rigorous evaluation by professionals in the field. Some of the more common professional accrediting groups are: Business. The accrediting organization for schools of business is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Fortunately, most of the major universities in Virginia meet AACSB standards. However some universities–such as Strayer University and University of Phoenix–do not. If you are unsure, go to the AACSB web site and click on accreditation.

Another advantage in getting an accredited online college degree is the time flexibility. Online college makes it easier for someone to manage both school and work schedules because they handle their own time. Students can choose timeframes of an online nursing program depending on how much time they can allocate for taking online classes. There are programs that can run for one year while there are also those than last for one year and a half. Usually, the schedule and length of the program depends on the person who is taking the online course. Online nursing programs may also come out cheaper than when you actually attend in a university. This is because there are not much fees to pay in online programs as compared to traditionally finishing a degree in a university.

Because the practice exams contain only some of the questions in the total set, try to find several practice exams to get a variety of questions. Do not memorize the questions and answers, but do understand the material and how the questions are phrased. Before taking the test, you will need to submit an application. In most cases, the nursing schools in Washington State where you take your training will have the necessary forms and will arrange for the examination to be conducted at the school. Most states have a minimum test group size. If your school does not meet this minimum or you have to retake the test, or you are applying for recertification in another state, you will need to find a testing site.

Online programs. All students should be aware that accrediting organizations tend to look with disfavor on educational programs that rely exclusively on Internet technology. Some of these online nursing schools in Washington State have regional accreditation, but they cannot get professional accreditation because exams are open-book and unproctored. Further, students at such institutions often “share” the assignments and workload. Students may discover, to their chagrin, that a diploma from such a school is essentially worthless.

Learn more about the Best Nursing School Programs.