Regionally Accredited Online Colleges and Universities
Students and companies prefer regionally accredited online colleges and universities against nationally accredited ones. Regionally accredited online schools are often non-profit like most state universities or community colleges and offer lower tuition fees. They are often viewed as more reputable and prominent. In the US, there are seven regional accrediting agencies for all colleges and universities, whether online or on-campus.
The same way of accreditation applies for online and on-campus schools. Accreditation is important in order to review and evaluate a school’s overall performance. Accredited schools are certified to provide a high quality of education. Regionally accredited online colleges and universities are preferred by students because once they transfer or continue schooling, credits will be accepted to both regionally or nationally accredited schools, because generally, regionally accredited schools do not accept credits from nationally accredited schools.
It is easy to check whether a school is regionally accredited online college or university. Complete listing can be viewed at the Council on Higher Education Accreditation’s Directory of Regional Accrediting Organizations. It is best to do a little research in order to be sure that credits from an associate or master’s degree will be accepted once continued at a bachelor’s or doctoral degree, respectively.
Regionally accredited online college and university listings can also be viewed at online directory of schools together with all their courses or programs. Students need not only choose the most appropriate course to take according to interest and personality, it is also important to choose the best school, so that his or her efforts will not be put to waste if ever he decides to continue schooling.
Most working students prefer online schooling because it provides flexible schedule that enables them to work and study at the same time especially if they support themselves financially. They can turn to regional schools which cost lower compared to other private schools. They can even qualify for scholarships or loan grants if they are really not financially capable. Online schools empower everyone to have an alternative to traditional brick and mortar schools. It benefits not just working students but also people with physical limitations who may have difficulty traveling or moving around.
Accreditation is very important in order to recognize which school truly offers a high quality of education. It certifies that an educational institution provides an overall satisfactory performance. High quality of education gives the best value for hard-earned money and more importantly, equips any student of the best knowledge and skills needed for the real battle-which is the work field. It is an instrument to one’s future success, that’s why it is highly important. Regionally accredited online colleges and universities can be turned to for a more affordable and quality education.