Printable checklist
What to ask before choosing a program
Ask these of every program you are considering, this one included. A program that will not answer them in writing has told you something.
There is an obvious problem with a school publishing this list. We have published it anyway, and we have marked the questions where our own answer is not the strongest one available, because you will find that out eventually and it is better that you find it out now.
Ask for answers in writing. A phone call you cannot refer back to is not an answer.
Or use your browser's print or save-as-PDF option — nothing here needs an email address.
1. Accreditation and recognition
The section where our own answer is weakest. Ask it anyway.
- Are you accredited, and by whom?
- Can you send me the certificate, with an expiry date?
- Is there a public register where I can look that up myself?
- Is that accreditor recognized by the US Department of Education?
- What state are you registered in, and under what number?
- Our answer: ARHS is registered with the Florida DOE under School Code 5524, which you can check at fldoe.org. We publish no accreditation claim — and here is why. If accreditation is required for your goal, weigh that seriously.
2. What it really costs
- What is the total cost, including every fee?
- What is not included?
- What happens to my money if I withdraw in week one? Week four?
- Is the price on your website current, and will you confirm it in writing?
- Do you offer financial aid, and if so, of what kind?
3. Credits and time
- How do you evaluate previous credits, and who does it?
- How long does the evaluation take?
- Will you tell me in writing what transferred before I pay?
- What happens if fewer credits transfer than I expected?
- Be wary of any program that quotes a finish date before seeing your records
4. Warning signs
Any one of these is a reason to slow down.
- A diploma offered for a flat fee with no coursework
- A promise that employers or colleges "always accept" the diploma
- Pressure to enroll today, or a discount that expires in hours
- No physical address, or no named person who will speak to you
- An accreditor whose only web presence is a page confirming this one school
- A refund policy you cannot find before paying
5. The question that settles it
- Ask the organization you need the diploma for — the employer, the college, the recruiter — what they will accept, before you enroll anywhere
- Get their answer in writing too
- Then choose the program that meets it
Why we published this
A checklist that made us look best would be worthless to you, and you would spot it. The accreditation section above is the part of our own answer that is weakest, and it is first on the list rather than buried.
If our answers do not fit what you need, the right outcome is that you go elsewhere with your money intact. Ask us anything on this list.
Next step
Want a hand with any of this?
Describe where you are stuck. There is no cost to asking and no obligation to enroll.