Stewart and Spille probe the underworld of American higher education--diploma mills that grant fradulent or academically deficient degrees and credentials. They show why these operations are booming, what techniques they use to lure prospective students, and how many of these businesses operate legally, under lax state requirements. With real-world examples, the authors describe the relationship of diploma mills to fraudulent occupational licensure, identify states in which the activity is rampant, and explore foreign diploma mills in America and American diploma mills operating overseas. They describe the trade in fraudulent transcripts, letters of reference, educational counselling, honorary doctorates, term papers and dissertations, and misleading directories; explain how to distinguish legitimate from fraudulent degree-granting institutions; and conclude with recommendations for reversing the diploma mill boom. ISBN 0-02-930410-5: $19.95.