At WGU, we are actively monitoring and shutting down “papermill” websites—sites that sell papers and assignments to students to submit for academic credit. In many cases, these sites promote themselves as legitimate tutoring services, but there is nothing legitimate about what they do. It’s known as “contract cheating.”

When we find these sites, we are pursuing legal avenues to both shut down the sites and gather information regarding those using their services.

As a reminder, the WGU Code of Student Conduct explicitly forbids both cheating and plagiarism—and use of papermills can constitute both. Cheating is using any information found, requested, or purchased on the internet (or elsewhere) containing WGU assessment materials or responses to those materials and representing the work of others as your own without proper citation. Plagiarism is the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment.

There are many legitimate resources available to help you develop the skills and competencies you need to complete course assignments and assessments. These include your Course of Study, the learning resources, your Program Mentor, Course Instructors, and the training materials.

Please don’t be fooled into believing the claims of the “tutoring” sites. Your individual work and effort are needed to prove your competence and earn your degree. We know you can do it!