It gives us great pleasure to share the following with you: Warren National University, formerly Kennedy-Western University, has announced that it will cease operations effective March 31st, 2009.
Although Warren/Kennedy-Western tried to achieve both national and regional accreditation, it never operated as an accredited institution during its 25 years of operation. Its unaccredited status caused some in the distance learning community to view the school as either substandard or as a degree mill. A 2004 U.S. General Accounting Office investigation (see the full report, in .PDF) found that the school had awarded “life experience credit” based upon little more than student applications and descriptions of prior course work. After running into problems with the state licensing board in California, the school moved its operations to Wyoming. Kennedy-Western University changed its name to Warren National University in 2007, and last year stopped admitting new students.
In a lengthy, rambling explanation posted on its web site, Warren National University blamed its problems both on the current economic downturn in the U.S. and its failure to gain regional accreditation. Warren National began its quest for regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 2005. According to Warren National’s web site, the HLC on-site visit was conducted last October. On December 15th, Warren National was informed that it did not receive a recommendation for candidacy.
As part of the state of Wyoming’s crackdown on diploma mills (which we heartily applaud), schools operating in the state must either be accredited or a candidate for accreditation. Warren National’s failure to gain candidacy for accreditation means it can no longer legally operate in the state of Wyoming.
Really, we're crying on the inside. 
Warren National notified its current students on its web site that they can transfer and continue their studies with Preston University, another unaccredited institution which is based in Alabama. Ironically, Preston University moved its operations to Alabama from Wyoming due to the same crackdown on diploma mills which has led to the impending closure of Warren National University.
Don't want to get snookered by a diploma mill? Search for online schools at eLearners.com - each and every online degree program listed with us is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Accept nothing less.
Special thanks to tcord1964 for this eLearners News Blog post!