Students or adult professionals who turn to the internet for online degrees promising brighter futures in a matter of weeks--or even days--should think twice when presented with offers that appear too good to be true, U.S. Department of Education (ED) officials say.

ED on Feb. 1 unveiled a new web site, intended to crack down on the swath of phony online degrees that have begun cropping up in both private and public sector jobs in recent months. Rather than take a job applicant's word for it, employers now have at their disposal a master list of accredited colleges, universities, and career and vocational schools against which to verify an applicant's credentials.

ED's nationwide initiative comes less than a year after 11 Georgia educators were alleged to have purchased fraudulent degrees, including doctorate and master's degrees, from an online diploma mill. The degrees--all purchased for between $995 and $1,500--were awarded for "life experience" and required no coursework. The educators, six of whom worked in the Gwinnnett County Public Schools, could have used these allegedly phony documents to reap thousands of dollars in additional pay from the school system. (See story: "Teachers try fishy online degrees"). Though no pay raises were granted, at press time the Georgia Professional Standards Commission was still investigating each case individually for evidence of impropriety.

When contacted by an eSchool News reporter, John Grant, chief investigator for the standards commission's ethics division, said it was against commission policy to comment on the status of an ongoing investigation, but he did say that no disciplinary action has been taken as yet against any of the educators involved.

Even as investigators in Georgia seek answers, the problem of bogus online degrees is causing concern in other parts of the nation as well.

According to the Oregon Student Assistance Commission's Office of Degree Authorization, which has launched a campaign against the proliferation of fake-degree granting programs on the internet and elsewhere, there are at least 258 foreign suppliers of unaccredited degrees currently offering diplomas to workers in Oregon. Across the country, it's estimated that online diploma mills currently make more than $200 million a year from the sale of bogus degrees. Though the definition of "fraudulent" varies widely from state to state, many states--including Oregon--have passed laws barring the operation of these and other questionable operations, many of which offer degrees in exchange for a flat fee and often require little or no class time.

To help combat the problem, ED's web site contains listings for 6,900 postsecondary and trade schools--all of which have received the blessing of the department, though ED cautions it is by no means a definitive list. Schools that choose not to participate in the federal student-aid program, for example, do not have to seek approval from an accrediting agency recognized by ED, officials explained.