If you are someone who is considering earning a college degree online, you may have encountered a school known as Hill University at some point. Hill University claims to be an online university that offers a variety of programs of study from the high school diploma all the way to the doctoral degree. Since it’s a school you’ve probably never heard of before, you’ve probably wondered whether it’s legit. And being the smart person you are, you decided to do some research before enrolling in one of their programs (that’s how you ended up reading this).
So, is Hill University a legitimate institute of higher learning or is it a scam? It doesn’t take a lot of sleuthing to figure this out. In fact, there are several red flags on the “schools” web site that help us make an easy determination.
A Few Red Flags To Think About
The first red flag that jumps out is the fact that the school advertises college credit for “life experience.” There is no such thing as a legitimate college degree for life experience. It simply doesn’t exist. The “life experience” scam involves a school “evaluating” your resume and awarding a college degree based on your amazing work experience (and paying a substantial fee). In reality, there is no review of your resume. The fake school will take your money and issue a useless diploma as well as a fake transcript that even comes with a made up GPA.
Even though there is no such thing as a legit “life experience” degree, it is possible at many colleges and universities, however, to earn college credit in a particular subject through a process that is known as portfolio assessment. This is when you put together a portfolio that proves you’ve already mastered a particular subject. For example, if you already know how to play the guitar extremely well, you might put together a portfolio that consists of several videos of you playing various songs. After reviewing your portfolio, the assessment team might award three credit hours in Guitar Performance 101. To earn an entire college degree in this manner is not something that is done at legitimate schools. Strike one against Hill University.
Another red flag on the Hill University web site is the omission of an address. Where is the school located? Even if it only offers online programs, it must have a central office, right? There is no address given anywhere on the website. There is a phone number, however, that supposedly connects you with an academic adviser. A school that doesn’t post an address on its website typically doesn’t want to be found. Many fake schools (also known as diploma mills) are often located in third world countries. Strike two against Hill University.
The third red flag involves the schools accreditation. Hill University claims to be accredited by the International Online Education Accrediting Board (IOEAB) and the Organization For Online Learning Accreditation (OKOLA). These organizations sound very legit and impressive. There’s just one major problem….they are not recognized by the United States Department of Education as being legitimate college accrediting agencies. Strike three against Hill University.
Things Aren’t Looking So Good For This School
So, is there a Hill University scam? You’ll have to be the final judge of that. Just keep in mind that the school offers “life experience” degrees that are normally not recognized as being legitimate, does not list a physical address, and claims accreditation by two organizations that are not considered legitimate by the US Government. Perhaps taking a pass on this school wouldn’t be a bad decision.