When you decide to go to college online, you have to make sure that the college that you choose is right for you.  Also, with the many scams and diploma mills out there, you have to protect yourself.  So how do you do that?  The best way is to speak to an admissions counselor at the school and ask them these eight questions.

1. Are you accredited? Accreditation is one of the ways for you to distinguish a real school from a diploma mill.  It also ensures that the school meets established standards.  If you ever need to transfer credits or prove the worth of your degree to an employer, accreditation is extremely important.
2. How user-friendly is your platform? This is where you will access all your online course information. Your classes, chat rooms, and your virtual library will all reside in the school’s platform. All online colleges have a different online learning platform, and they all work a little differently.  Most online schools will demonstrate their platforms for you before you enroll.
   
3. Do you have tech support? When you work on the internet with computers, technical issues are always a possibility. You want to make sure that the support is as close to 24/7 as possible and that the wait time to speak to a tech person is short.
4. What student services do you offer? An online college that is worth going to will have services for students to ensure their success. See if they have tutoring services or online student communities.
5. Do you accept CLEP credits? CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program.  This program allows you to test out of classes and get credit for them. This is the best way to shorten your time in school by taking tests on subjects that you have already mastered.
6. What is the average number of students in your courses? Online students need a lot of individual attention to ensure that they do not feel isolated, so a good online college will have small classes to ensure that this happens.
   
7. What level of interaction do students have with their instructors? Again, because online students go to class at home, instructors should go the extra mile to make sure that they’re students are involved.  Make sure that the online school requires instructors to have “office hours” to give students the chance to speak with them on an individual basis.
8. What financial aid is available? Most students require some form of financial aid to help pay for school.  A good online college will have a variety of financial aid options for students, including federal and state grants, scholarships, and student loans.