There’s no doubt about it. The idea of being able to earn an accredited college degree based on nothing more than an evaluation of your previous life experience is very enticing. After all, if you’re someone who has been out of school for many years and you’ve suddenly learned that you need a college degree to advance in your career or to change jobs, who has time to take a bunch of new classes? After searching what’s available online you might have encountered several schools that claim to offer accredited life experience degrees. Lorenz University is one of these schools. But is it legit? Can you use a Lorenz University “life experience” degree for employment purposes? To answer these questions its necessary to take a look at the school, its accreditation, and the concept of “life experience” degrees in general.
Lorenz University
Lorenz University claims to offer a variety of degree programs from the undergrad all the way through the doctorate based on nothing more than an evaluation of your previous experience (and a substantial fee, of course). But there are several red flags about the school that you should be aware of.
The first thing in question is the concept of the “life experience” degree itself. Is it possible to earn a college degree based on nothing more than an evaluation of previous experience? The short answer is…no. There are no reputable colleges or universities that will award a legitimate college degree based on nothing more that “life experience.” All legitimate colleges and universities in the United States require college credit to be earned through highly structured course work or through challenge exams. The mere fact that Lorenz University offers “life experience” degrees is a big red flag.
Lorenz University Address
If Lorenz University is a legitimate university, it should be very easy to find its address, right? You would think so. Unfortunately, the “school” does not provide any mailing address on its web site. The location of its campus or at least its offices is a complete mystery. The absence of a Lorenz University address is another red flag.
Lorenz University Accreditation
The one thing that makes a college or university legit is not its campus or the degrees it offers. Rather, it’s the school’s accreditation. In the United States that highest form of accreditation a college or university can hold is known as “regional accreditation.”
Lorenz University claims to be accredited by the International Accreditation Association for Online Education (IAAFOE) and the Accreditation Council for Distance Education (ACTDE). Although both of these “organizations” sound very legit, there’s one major problem with them. They are not recognized as being legit by the U.S. Department of Education. In other words, the U.S. Government doesn’t even recognize them. If you live in the United States and are considering a degree from Lorenz University, you should consider the Lorenz University accreditation to be non-existent. This is yet another red flag.
Lorenz University Scam
So, what’s the verdict? Is there a Lorenz University scam?
All fair Lorenz University reviews must conclude that the “school” is a classic diploma mill scam. A diploma mill scam exists when someone sets up an elaborate web site that mimics the look of a traditional university’s web site. The scam then involves selling college degrees for a substantial fee based on nothing more than a review of previous experience. The perpetrator takes the unsuspecting victim’s fee and then mails a fake diploma and fake transcript. Sadly, many people fall victim to the life experience degree scam each year and end up losing a lot of money.
Another important thing to point out in Lorenz University reviews is the fact that there are several states where it is illegal to use an unaccredited college degree for employment purposes. Since Lorenz University does not hold regional accreditation, it would be illegal to use a Lorenz University degree in those states.
If you are considering a Lorenz University online degree, it’s in your best interest to keep looking for another school. There are now so many reputable colleges and universities that offer online college degrees, you are sure to find what you’re looking for. If you live in the United States, just be sure to check any potential school’s accreditation to be certain that it holds “regional accreditation.”