Are you someone who is thinking about returning to school to finish that college degree you always intended to finish but never did? Maybe you’ve been out of school for several years and now find that you need a degree to either change careers or earn a promotion in your current career. Whatever the case, you’re now thinking about finishing what you started and aren’t sure about how to make it happen with your busy schedule.
These days many working adults are taking college credits and even earning their degree online. This is a strategy that makes sense for many people since there are now many big-name schools that offer online degrees. And since most online classes do not require you to be at your computer at specific times to participate in class activities, they are perfect for working adults who need a way to earn a degree that fits their schedules.
If you are someone who is thinking about earning a college degree online due to the convenience, you may have encountered a school known as Almeda University. And after checking out their website for a bit, you may have wondered whether there’s an Almeda University scam.
If Almeda University sounds a little too good to be true, you should congratulate yourself for picking up on this. Almeda University claims to offer college degrees based on nothing more than an evaluation of your previous life experience (and a fee, of course), but is this legit? Let’s take a look…
Are Life Experience Degrees Legitimate?
The idea of being able to earn a college degree based on nothing more than previous life experience sounds very enticing to many people. Unfortunately, there are no legitimate schools that offer such degrees. Are life experience degrees legitimate? No, they are not.
Almeda University Reviews
Almeda University was founded in 1997 and claims to offer associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees based on “prior learning assessment.” This is just a fancy way of saying “life experience.” The “school” also claims to offer some master’s degree programs and doctorates that require the completion of either a thesis or a doctorate.
Almeda University Address
The Almeda University address remains a mystery since the “school” tends to move around. At different times Almeda has held addresses in Florida, Georgia, and Idaho. As far as its legal status goes, Almeda is technically a corporation that is located on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean.
Almeda University Accreditation
Before you enroll with any college or university, it’s always a good idea to check out it’s accreditation to make sure it’s valid. In the United States the highest form of collegiate accreditation a college or university can hold is known as “regional accreditation.”
Almeda University does not hold regional accreditation. It does, however, claim accreditation from two very official-sounding organizations. Almeda claims accreditation from the Council for Distance Education Accreditation, Interfaith Education Ministries (IEM) and the Association for Online Academic Excellence (AOAEX). Neither of these “organizations” are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Almeda University accreditation does not check out. Essentially, the “school” is unaccredited and should be treated as such. In the United States it’s illegal in many states to use unaccredited degrees to for employment purposes. This means you could get in a lot of trouble by trying to use an Almeda degree.
Is Almeda University Legitimate?
Almeda University appears to be a classic “diploma mill.” A diploma mill is a type of scam that involves someone setting up an elaborate-looking web site that looks very official. Diploma mill scams usually make the claim that you can earn a college degree through nothing more than previous experience (and a hefty fee). The perpetrator of the fraud will take your money and then mail you a useless diploma and fake transcript.
If you are thinking of earning a degree through Almeda University, it’s best to shop around and check out other options. There are now so many highly respected state schools that offer online degrees that there’s simply no reason to take your chances with an unaccredited school.