Regional Accrediting Agencies

There are currently seven regional accrediting agencies operating in six regions of the United States. These accreditation agencies concentrate on specific regions of the country. National Accrediting Agencies

These entities operate across the United States and also accredit entire institutions. National accreditation agencies started as associations of schools with a common theme. Specialized or Programmatic Accrediting Agencies

These entities also operate nationwide and review programs and single-purpose institutions (e.g., engineering and technology). The Accreditation Process

The accreditation process is voluntary and must be requested by educational institutions or programs. These procedures are guided, in part, by the federal requirements discussed later in this report. However, the specific procedures for evaluation reviews adopted by accreditation agencies do vary among them. The process typically begins with institutional self-study. Peer review is conducted by an outside team primarily composed of higher education faculty and administrators. Interim reviews are required when issues are left unresolved from a comprehensive evaluation. Role of the U.S. Department of Education in Accreditation

ED does not accredit IHEs or programs of higher education. Evolution of Federal Requirements for Accrediting Agency Recognition

Section 496 of the HEA sets forth the standards and criteria accrediting agencies must meet to be recognized by ED as reliable authorities as to the quality of education offered at IHEs. Regardless of the type of accrediting association or agency, the organization must consistently apply and enforce standards that ensure that the education programs, training, or courses of study offered by an IHE are of sufficient quality to meet the stated objectives for which they are offered. The standards used by the accrediting agency or association must assess student achievement in relation to the institution's mission, including, as applicable, course completion, passage of state licensing examinations, and job placement rates. Specifically, NACIQI provides recommendations to the Secretary regarding
the establishment and enforcement of criteria for recognition of accrediting agencies or associations under Subpart 2 of Part H, Title IV, of the HEA; the recognition of specific accrediting agencies or associations or a specific state approval agency; the preparation and publication of the list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies and associations; the eligibility and certification process for IHEs under Title IV of the HEA; the relationship between (1) accreditation of IHEs and the certification and eligibility of such institutions and (2) state licensing responsibilities with respect to such institutions; and any other advisory functions relating to accreditation and institutional eligibility that the Secretary may prescribe. Some issues that may receive attention include the use of accreditation as a measure of quality, potential ways of restructuring or streamlining the accreditation process, accreditation's role in the changing postsecondary education landscape, and transparency and potential conflicts of interest in the accreditation process. Institutional accreditation by an ED-recognized accrediting agency may be considered a measure of institutional quality, because it indicates that an IHE meets performance standards delineated by the accrediting agency and maintains financial stability, as determined by an accrediting agency's review. Competency-Based Programs

Undergraduate educational programs at public, private nonprofit, and proprietary institutions must meet standards pertaining to minimum amounts of instructional time to be eligible to participate in Title IV federal student aid programs.
Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) authorizes programs that provide financial assistance to students to assist them in obtaining a postsecondary education at certain institutions of higher education (IHEs). IHEs wishing to participate in Title IV federal student aid (FSA) programs must meet several requirements, including being accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education (ED) as a reliable authority on the quality of the education being offered.
There are three general types of accrediting agencies, each of which serves a specific purpose. Regional accrediting agencies operate in six regions of the United States and concentrate their reviews on IHEs within specific regions of the country. National accrediting agencies operate across the United States and review institutions with a common theme (e.g., religiously affiliated institutions). Finally, programmatic accrediting agencies operate nationwide and review programs and single-purpose institutions.
The accreditation process is voluntary and must be requested by educational institutions or programs. While accrediting agencies' review processes are guided, in part, by federal requirements, specific procedures for reviews are adopted by the individual agencies and vary among them. In general, however, the review process begins with an institutional self-assessment, then an institution is reviewed by an outside team of peers primarily composed of higher education faculty and practitioners, and finally, a comprehensive report is submitted by the team of peers to the accrediting agency, which then makes an accreditation determination.
Although the federal government relies on accrediting agencies to evaluate the quality of education offered at IHEs, the HEA and ED regulations provide a variety of requirements that accrediting agencies must meet to be recognized by ED. Key provisions require that accrediting agencies
meet general membership requirements (e.g., agencies must have a voluntary membership of IHEs); consistently apply and enforce standards that ensure the education programs, training, or courses of study offered are of sufficient quality to meet the stated objective for which they are offered; use review standards that assess student achievement in relation to the institution's mission, including, as applicable, course completion, passage of state licensing examinations, and job placement rates; evaluate, among other considerations, an institution's or program's curricula, faculty, facilities, and fiscal and administrative capacity; and meet due process requirements with respect to the institutions and programs they accredit.
Congress may wish to focus on several issues related to accreditation as it considers HEA reauthorization. These issues may include further development of institutional quality measures, the potential to restructure or streamline the accreditation system, accreditation's role in the changing higher education landscape, and transparency and potential conflicts of interest in the accreditation process.