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Beware of Education Scams!
The WSN readers,
particularly those with live and throbbing India
connections, can warn their kin back home of the many dangers posed
by the so-called consultants in visa process etc.
The U.S. Educational Foundation in India has warned Indian students to be
wary of advertisements and claims about U.S. higher education that
sound too good to be true.
Common
educational scams include:
Unaccredited
schools: A school's degree may be worthless if the school is not
accredited by an official agency. Students can check a U.S.
institution's accreditation on the Web site of the Council for
Higher Education accreditation.
http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp.
To ascertain the legitimacy of an on-line or distance-education
institution, students may contact the Better Business Bureau or
state attorney general's office to make sure the school is operating
legally in a specific state and to see if anyone has filed a
complaint. The bureau has
listed red flags about questionable on-line programs.
http://www.bbb.org/alerts/article.asp?ID=185
Quick degrees:
Institutions which offer quick degrees are often called "diploma
mills." A fake degree can ruin your reputation. In case you
encounter questionable providers of higher education, check out the
questions on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Web
site.
http://www.chea.org/pdf/fact_sheet_6_diploma_mills.pdf
Fake
advertisements: Some of these are also listed on the University
Grants Commission's Web site.
http://www.ugc.ac.in/inside/
malprac.html
"On the spot"
admission: At quality institutions in the United States, the
admissions process involves a committee of faculty who review the
applicant's academic record, test scores, references and personal
statement. By contrast, "on the spot" admission suggests that almost
anyone will be accepted, so quality is in question. This may cast
doubt on whether you are a serious student when you apply for a U.S.
visa.
Promise of a U.S.
visa: No institution or agent can guarantee you will receive a U.S.
visa. This determination is made only by a U.S. Consular Officer.
Costly
scholarships: Beware of sending an advance fee to a scholarship
service that guarantees a scholarship. No one can. Lists of
scholarships are readily available for free on the Internet.
Visit www.educationusa.state.gov/finaid.htm for details.
If it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is. Treasure your reputation and your
education. Spend your funds wisely. Stay alert to avoid education
scams.
10 October, 2007
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