Since yesterday's post about Excelsior College, several readers have asked about other life experience programs. The other two of the "big three" life experience universities are thomas edison State College and Charter Oak State College.

These are all legitimate programs with regional accreditation (the most widely accepted form of accreditation).

So, how do you tell a legitimate life experience program from a diploma mill? Look for these tell-tale signs:

1. Legitimate life experience programs are accredited. The best have regional accreditation.

2. Legitimate programs require students to prove their life experience by creating a portfolio of work or taking exams.

3. Legitimate life experience programs do not give credit for an entire degree at once. Instead, students must prove that they have the knowledge or skills required by each class.

4. Legitimate life experience programs require work. Students can't just fill out some paperwork and receive a degree in the mail. Proving their skills and filling the holes in their coursework takes time.

To learn more about these programs, take a look at: 4 Steps to Legitimate Life Experience Credit.