January 14th, 2008
Don’t Get Suckered by Online GED Scam
This public service announcement brought to you by the American Council on Education, which has caught another one of the fraudulent online education business that makes the rest of us look bad. The important thing to take out of this brouhaha: You can get your high school diploma online, but you can’t take the GED online.
Online scams are nothing new, but the GED Testing Service, the official provider of the GED, has reported a recent rise in the number of complaints from students who paid to take “the GED” online, only to discover that their results were not certified. From the ACE website:
GEDTS is deeply concerned with a recent increase in the number of web sites purporting to offer GED testing online or through the mail,” said Sylvia E. Robinson, ACE assistant vice president and executive director of the GED Testing Service. “We would like everyone to know—and share with others—that the GED Tests are not currently offered online and can only be taken in person at an official GED Testing Center. Any services that purport to offer a GED credential through any other means are not affiliated with GEDTS or ACE, may be of dubious value, and may deliver a product that is not accepted by employers, colleges and universities, or the military.
This is, of course, especially frustrating not only for the victims of this scam but for legitimate online educational institutions and their hardworking students. Every time something like this happens, it tars the whole industry in the eyes of the public. Fortunately, the online education industry has increasing numbers on its side (3.5 million U.S. students online and counting), and increasing acceptance as a result (not to mention an increasing demand for quality).
So remember boys and girls, when choosing an online diploma or degree provider, check for accreditation by one of the Dept. of Education-approved institutions listed here. And if you’re looking for your high school diploma–NOT your GED–online, check out the accredited online high schools featured on WorldWideLearn.
I actually used to GED classes for high school kick outs (a big difference from dropouts!). Its a big deal for many of these students/people just to make it to a testing center–very intimidating because they already usually feel shame for being under-educated. I use to do a field trip to make sure my students signed up! Anyway, to offer a bogus online test is targeting GED hopefuls where they are most vulnerable.
Terrible!
Comment by redhead — January 17, 2008 @ 12:56 pm
do you have a current list of Online GED testing which have been reported to the District Attorney’s Office?
Comment by Anonymous — May 8, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
Kewl site man…
keep up the good work man…….
Trackback by Sammy Sullivan — June 30, 2009 @ 3:16 am