by Bruce Friend

When taking online courses in high school, it is important for college-bound students to consider how the grades and credits earned in their online courses will be viewed by institutions of higher education that they my aspire to attend.  There are some important questions and considerations that students and parents should seek information on prior to enrolling in an online high school course or program.

First it should be noted that online learning is a widely available and accepted means by which the majority of universities offer courses.  Some universities actually require that students take certain courses online. At some institutions you can even earn your degree entirely online. While online learning is prevalent in higher education, high school students should not assume that grades and credit earned online will automatically be accepted.  There does exist, unfortunately, a handful of online high school programs whose business practices in delivering online education have come under scrutiny, and for good reason.  “Diploma mills” as they are often called have popped up on the Internet promising students a quick and easy way to earn a high school diploma.  As with many other things in life, if it sounds too good to be true, then buyer beware.

A few steps that parents should take to ensure their student’s hard work in online courses will be accepted include:

1.    Verify that the online program that you are considering has earned appropriate accreditation.  For information about accreditation you may want to visit the US Dept. of Education website that provides valuable information about this important step in choosing the appropriate school.
http://www.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/index.html?src=rt

2.    If your high school student is planning to participate in university athletic programs, it is advisable to check with the NCAA regarding their rules around the acceptance of degrees and coursework that is earned online. http://www.ncaastudent.org/

3.    Ask to speak with a representative of the prospective college/universities Admissions Office to learn about any specific requirements or limitations that they may have regarding the acceptance online high school credit.

These are a few proactive steps that you can take to ensure that the time and effort that your student puts into their online high school courses will be accepted. Students who successfully complete online courses will find that the skills they use and hone while being an online student will serve them well once they enroll in college.  As one admissions advisor from a large university once told me, they actually like to know that prospective students have completed online courses as it is an indication of a student’s ability to be self-motivated, use technology for learning purposes, and to manage their time well.