Mt. Sierra College Online

Hello,

http://online.mtsierra.edu/

Real or fake?

- Shawn

 

Well, if you click on their "Financial Aid" link, you will find that they are approved for Title IV funding (federal student aid programs). Methinks this means that they must have some type of accreditation recognizedf by CHEA and/or USDOE. Which must mean that they offer honest-to-goodness real classes. But I'm not sure how good they are compared to the next DL college down the webmall. Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone.

 

Legit trade school

Mt. Sierra is a "real" B&M institution in the Los Angeles area that also offers online instruction. They are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT), which is recognized by CHEA.

ACCSCT accredits "trade schools"; such schools typically offer vocational training in fields like truck driving, dental hygiene, computer repair, haircutting, etc. These are perfectly legitimate institutions, but their credits may not transfer to DETC or RA schools. They don't necessarily grant degrees (and if they do, they are typically associate's degrees) but Mt. Sierra apparently has state approval to offer the bachelor's degree.

 

Re: Legit trade school

I could be wrong, but I don't think ACCSCT accredits haircutting schools. My guess would be that most of those schools are accredited by the USDE approved National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS).

ACCSCT does accredit vocational type schools, but they are still recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and authorized to accredit degree granting institutions. If I recall correctly, their authorization is through the Bachelor's level only. However, they are currently conducting a Master's pilot program and may get a scope expansion from USDE in the future. I think Westwood College is one of the ACCSCT schools in the pilot program.

In any case, ACCSCT is definitely a legit accreditor. Therefore, degrees/credits from schools they approve (e.g. Mt. Sierra) will have a good amount of utility. Transfer of credit may be a problem in some cases, but there are plenty of more traditional schools that will at least consider Mt. Sierra credits.

For one, CHEA's HETA transfer alliance database is now up and running. This could be a great resource for students with NA credits and degrees. The list is not exhaustive, but it's definitely a good place for transfer students to begin their search. Plus, HR 4283 may force change within higher education, thereby giving ACCSCT degrees/credits even more utility.

That said, Mt. Sierra may not be the best bargain in DL these days. Students could probably get a lot more bang for their buck at DETC accredited universities or more traditional RA universities with DL programs.

 

ACCSCT cosmetology/barbering schools

A quick search at ACCSCT.org turns up 97 programs nationwide in the category of "Cosmetology/Barbering". In California, this includes such institutions as "Moler Barber College", "My-Le's Beauty College", and the "Elite Progressive School of Cosmetology". So it appears that at least some of these schools go with ACCSCT.

 

Re: ACCSCT cosmetology/barbering schools

Interesting. According to CHEA.org, NACCAS accredits 1,014 schools. I wonder why those 97 schools chose ACCSCT over a specialized cosmetology accreditor. Maybe ACCSCT provides graduates with more utility?

It also looks like some of those 97 schools offer degree/diploma programs in disciplines other than cosmetology. Maybe that disqualifies them from NACCAS accreditation?

 

Hey....

Thanks for the feedback folks!

- Shawn