For those who attended online college to obtain their degree, which was the best school to attend and get accreditation from?

2016-12-22T11:44:14-05:00

I am looking to study online at an institution which would allow me to obtain my Bachelor's in Child and Family Counseling - I was looking to attend the University of Phoenix however their are mixed feelings about their programs and accreditation. Also, Penn State but my assistance would barely cover the programs and classes I would need to take.

Response by SFC George Smith made Dec 22 at 2016 11:49 AM

2016-12-22T11:49:38-05:00

Phenix and Strayer are good but Tough, University of Maryland is also good if they are still in the business...

Response by Cpl Joshua Caldwell made Dec 22 at 2016 11:59 AM

2016-12-22T11:59:26-05:00

I would start with your major and see who offers what you want to take, then I would look at the available choices and compare convenience, cost, and accreditation. I attended the University of Pittsburgh so Pedophile Supporter Univ PSU never made my list I also took classes online that transferred through AMU. There are a bunch of school that offer online degrees now. Even Harvard but the costs are pretty high in the Ivy League.

Response by CH (MAJ) Luke Phillips made Dec 22 at 2016 12:24 PM

2016-12-22T12:24:03-05:00

Liberty University. They have quality programs, national accreditation, military discount, and very reasonable tuition (less than half the cost of University of Phoenix).

Response by SSG Darrin Bovia made Dec 22 at 2016 12:39 PM

2016-12-22T12:39:15-05:00

Oregon State University or Arizona State University. I found OSU economical and relevant, but the standard 16 week semesters did not work for my schedule. Your degree will not reference distance learning; it will simply state Oregon State University.

Response by MSgt James White made Dec 22 at 2016 12:44 PM

2016-12-22T12:44:48-05:00

Peru State University (Nebraska State University System). They took all of my military credits. I only had to matriculate for my degree. They are reasonably priced and no proctored exams...

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2016 12:55 PM

2016-12-22T12:55:14-05:00

Look at a local community collage and look at the state collage.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2016 1:01 PM

2016-12-22T13:01:27-05:00

I took classes at probably a dozen different schools during my enlisted days, including Univ of Phoenix. I honestly found their classes to be subpar. I really don't think they care too much about your success as long as your tuition check clears. American Military University is completely online as well. I found their military support system and resources overall to be much better. With that being said I still think getting an online degree from an established "brick and mortar" is the way to go, rather than a school that is primarily online. The online education stigma isn't as strong as it once was (even Harvard has an online program now), but it is still present in many industries. When it finally came time for me to get my degree I went with the University of Missouri since that's where I grew up and they offered a major that allowed me the flexibility to know out prereqs for grad school. I think just abut every major university offers online degrees now so you really just have to find one that offers your major. Good luck!

Response by SMSgt Thor Merich made Dec 22 at 2016 1:12 PM

2016-12-22T13:12:04-05:00

The best online schools are brick and mortar schools that offer online programs. There are many, but I will use Arizona State as an example. ASU has a fine online program.

The reason why a brick and mortar school is better is that most are Regionally Accredited. Any legitimate school will either be Regionally or Nationally accredited. Despite the name, a Regional Accreditation is accepted almost universally while a National Accreditation is not. Here is a list of the major Regionally Accreditation commissions.

Middle States Commission on Higher Education, formerly part of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools - Postsecondary institutions in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

New England Association of Schools and Colleges - Educational institutions in the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[6] - Educational institutions in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Northwest Accreditation Commission for primary and secondary schools and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) for postsecondary institutions in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools - Educational institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges - 4-year educational institutions in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands, as well as schools for American children in Asia.

While many online schools offer great educational programs (I graduated from Columbia Southern), they are not usually regionally accredited and your options are limited with a school not regionally accredited.

Some employers are biased against not Regionally Accredited schools or online schools. Its a unfounded bias, but its still there. Also your options for continuing to a Masters or higher degrees are limited if you don't have a regional accreditation for your BS/BA degree as many schools may not accept a National Accreditation.

You are on the right path though. Ask a lot of questions and find out about accreditation before you spend your time and money. Good luck

Response by LTC John Shaw made Dec 22 at 2016 1:31 PM

2016-12-22T13:31:33-05:00

Penn State has academic counselors that should be able to assist you with questions. Most large universities have online courses or community college that are feeders into the university at the third year mark. Have you tried to talk to anyone there?

Response by SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM made Dec 22 at 2016 2:34 PM

2016-12-22T14:34:44-05:00

SPC(P) Alexandra Hinds -http://www.post.edu

Post University-Learn Online or On Campus

Post University, part of the Waterbury, CT community for over 125 years, offers both the traditional college experience and online learning.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2016 2:37 PM

2016-12-22T14:37:07-05:00

Penn State. GO LIONS!

Response by SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM made Dec 22 at 2016 2:37 PM

2016-12-22T14:37:10-05:00

SPC(P) Alexandra Hinds -http://post.edu/why-post/accreditation-and-recognition

Accreditation | Post University

Post University is an accredited University that offers students the academic, social and leadership skills they will need to succeed in their chosen fields.

Response by SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM made Dec 22 at 2016 2:38 PM

2016-12-22T14:38:52-05:00

Lastly, best of luck within your academic pursuit SPC(P) Alexandra Hinds .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sumk08eFFkQ

Derrick Lewis #PostAdvice for online students

Derrick Lewis, who earned his MBA through Post's Online Education Institute in 2015, offers advice for online students! #PostAdvice

Response by 1stSgt Matthew Olivolo made Dec 22 at 2016 4:23 PM

2016-12-22T16:23:04-05:00

I went to the University of Phoenix. The classes were hard, yet on point. I highly recommend UoP to any service member.

Response by SGT Erik Wells made Dec 22 at 2016 4:36 PM

2016-12-22T16:36:47-05:00

Every career domain has a particular subset of schools that are known within the profession as 'good' programs to attend. They are not going to be the same across sectors and in some cases may not be the 'obvious' choice - online programs from brick and mortar schools are not necessarily the best choices, as online curriculums HAVE to be different. In my own search I found that many programs affiliated with brick and mortar programs are merely poor substitute copies of live interactive classes and some students I talked with felt like it negatively impacted their studies. There has to be some online resources for your chosen career specialty that can guide you towards the good, bad and ugly for degree programs online, I would start there. I found a good competency based online program that is not only regionally accredited, but was also well received in my chosen industry for producing knowledgable graduates - and was much cheaper than all the other 'online programs', but took some time and research before I found the program that suited me. Do yourself a favor and do as much research as you can, ask within your intended profession for suggestions and then thoroughly vet the school you settle on, because once you spend your GI Bill it's gone, so might as well do it right the first time. Good Luck to you.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2016 5:11 PM

2016-12-22T17:11:51-05:00

I received my Associates from Coastline Community College and they were incredibly military friendly. Most of the people in my class were Vets, Military, or Dependents. I took my classes while in Iraq, I would go out to an outpost for 8 days and return for 4. They were flexible with letting me turn my assignments in and do my testing during those four days. Also, their degree is guaranteed cover the basic requirements and transfer into CSU and UCS in California.
I transferred mine to Thomas Edison State College which had also been a great school. I chose them because I had friends that used TESC for their pre-reqs to get into Physician Assistant programs. They have several Masters areas including Child Development, Nursing, and Business.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 22 at 2016 6:26 PM

2016-12-22T18:26:06-05:00

Kaplin University works well with military training and courses that they can turn into credits

Response by SGT Steve Hines-Saich B.S. M.S. Cybersecurity made Dec 22 at 2016 7:35 PM

2016-12-22T19:35:27-05:00

Good Evening,

I like what is being said about national vs regional acceleration. Those who say that finding a brick and mortar school with an online program are also correct in saying so. I graduated with an AAS in Business from Columbia Southern University(Nationally accredited). I was accepted into a few regionally accredited schools in NY. I am entering into my last semester at a regional school in a bachelor of science program. The best advice I can give is to do your research. I would not go with UOP given you know they are in a rough spot now. (Think ITT) Best of luck!

Respectfully,
Steven

Response by CPO Randy Gasser made Dec 22 at 2016 8:23 PM

2016-12-22T20:23:52-05:00

SPC Bassett,
To determine which school is best is not a simple question to answer. Some businesses do give the same amount of weight to a degree from an online University vice a brick and motor classroom, even if the schools have the exact same accreditation. Many, if not all states require that individuals obtain Certification from them in addition to their college degree for Counselors. You need to carefully consider the internship hours required by your state, the evaluate how the University you select will do for you in order to get an internship that meets your state's requirements.

What program are you using to pay for school? If it is the Post 9/11 GI Bill, then only select a school that participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and they match enough tuition with the VA to ensure that all Tuition and Fees will be 100% covered. As for Textbooks, the $1000 a year will more than likely not cover more than one semester. This is where applying for the Pell Grant via FAFSA can offset those costs if you qualify for it. (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov)

Ensure the school you selects meets all of the below:
✔ Student Veteran Group
✔ Yellow Ribbon See YR Rates
✔ Principles of Excellence
✔ Military Tuition Assistance (TA)
✔ VetSuccess on Campus
✔ 8 Keys to Veteran Success

The U.S. Department of Education announced on December 12, 2016 its decision to withdraw Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)’ recognition as a federally recognized agency for several compliance failures, including its failure to provide appropriate consumer protection measures. Do research on this one.

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/factsheets/Choosing_a_School.pdf

I am retried from the military and from a University as a Military Admissions Recruiter and Counselor.

Good luck, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2016 6:24 AM

2016-12-25T06:24:16-05:00

Do more research on accreditation for institutions. There are tons of "for profit" educational institutions that are not worth the money. Based on the opinion of two of my peers, Penn state sees you as a cash cow.

Response by SPC Brian Mason made Dec 29 at 2016 12:31 AM

2016-12-29T00:31:02-05:00

Those places that offer rapid degrees aren't that good. At most you'll be a certificate of something. They don't follow a per hour/per class/per semester rule, credits from those places will NOT transfer to a 2 year and higher college. These places follow the universal requirement of having certain classes have certain times/per semester. If you have the idea of getting a higher degree, most likely, those credits may not transfer. Yes, you can get those degrees faster. Recruiters for those 'schools' will NOT tell you the entire truth. Schools get funding based on the number of students enrolled in each semester.
Best to check their legal status and accreditation before you meet with anyone. Many places will lie about it and won't give your proof of it. After you graduate it's too late. The cost of going is way to high for those places. Being they are faster is no excuse for the price hike.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2016 11:43 AM

2016-12-29T11:43:38-05:00

I went to Post University. They are regionally accredited and your tuition assistance will cover your full tuition and books are provided by the school. Definitely a great school. It's an actual physical school that includes an online education instead of merely an only online school. You can attend your graduation when you complete your degree. Overall a great experience.

Response by SPC Robert Tuller made Dec 29 at 2016 12:16 PM

2016-12-29T12:16:03-05:00

Alex,
I went to Kaplan University Online out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. They are a Military Friendly school and you will get credit for your service and training. Give them a try: http://www.kaplanuniversity.edu/

Kaplan University | Online College Courses – Campus and Online University

Kaplan University offers campus and online college courses in a variety of degree programs. Explore how you can earn a college degree online or on campus.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 29 at 2016 1:30 PM

2016-12-29T13:30:02-05:00

My two main recommendations for anyone asking this is to try out their local community college and to avoid Ashford univ and other degree mill institutions. After joining I transferred my credits from Univ of Houston to OU when I was stationed at Sill. Oklahoma has a decent selection of degrees you can obtain almost entirely online and I know institutions such as Univ of Arizona do too. US News has a report on universities that work with vets and provide online programs. http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/bachelors/veteran-rankings

Ashford is really popular with service members but the program is a joke. I spent last summer working Cadet Summer Training and any time Ashford or Univ of Phoenix were brought up, people laughed. Do some research on any program you are thinking of attending. If there is controversy surrounding it, you might want to look elsewhere.

Access Denied

Response by SFC James Wesser made Dec 30 at 2016 12:14 AM

2016-12-30T00:14:05-05:00

Hi SPC Bassett,
First, with the degree you are looking at the degree needs to be from a regionally accredited school. Any mental health program must be from a regionally accrdited school for licensure. No state will accept a degree from a Nationally accredited program (if that is your long term intent).
Second, and this is just my opinion as a guidance counselor for the Army, most "for profit" schools do not have the best track record (in retension and graduation rates). Most for profits do not rank very well in thier academic standing in comparison to State Colleges and Universities.
If you are just starting out in school, I would seriously consider looking at the community college systems, Most are feeder schools to the state universoty systems in most states.
Make sure that you are using your Tuition Assistance funds through the GoArmyEd portal. If you have any questions I can be reached at the Restone Army Education Center. Our Number is [login to see] .
Jim

Response by SrA Davida Vaughn made Jan 10 at 2017 1:01 PM

2017-01-10T13:01:12-05:00

I obtained Master's in counseling and am currently pursuing a doctorate a d I can tell you that most major universities offer and online program at the bachelor's level. However, most jobs in the field require Master's degree atinumum, and/or professional licensure. Might I recommend attending a university that offers dual degree programs to save a year. And again, some great fully accredited institution offer these types of programs. I recommend checking the CACREP website to search from programs.

Response by SrA Davida Vaughn made Jan 10 at 2017 1:07 PM

2017-01-10T13:07:51-05:00

Also, university of Maryland University College is a safe bet. See previous post for more. Good luck!

Response by CPL Beth Allsop made Feb 27 at 2017 5:51 PM

2017-02-27T17:51:56-05:00

What state are you currently living in? Are there any on-line degrees offered through a state school?
I did not attend University of Phoenix due to there extremely lax entry requirements! AIU is a better choice but will cost more than a state school.
After I paid monster amounts in tution to attend AIU and graduate with a BBA, The state colleges in my area started offering online classes. My timing was off by 20 months. Please look into a state school, where you're located, for an online degree.