What is Accreditation and Why Does it Matter?
Accreditation Overview
Accreditation is a way of ensuring consistency and quality of education in postsecondary institutions in the United States. An accredited college is one which has met the standards set forth by a recognized accrediting agency. While the U.S. Department of Education does not accredit schools directly, it recognizes the agencies which are permitted to do so. These accrediting bodies develop standards for academic excellence and perform intermittent evaluations and reviews of educational institutions to ensure that they are in compliance with the established guidelines.
Accreditation is voluntary; colleges and universities are not required to seek this form of recognition. However, most institutions choose to pursue accreditation because it conveys an assurance of quality and credibility to prospective students as well as teachers and staff. In addition, only accredited schools and programs can receive federal funding, and only students who enroll in accredited institutions are eligible for federal financial aid.
The Types of Accreditation
There are several types of accreditation that a college can receive. Regional accreditation is usually associated with traditional public or private colleges and universities. National accreditation is typically the form of recognition bestowed upon vocational, technical, or specialized schools, as well as distance education and online learning programs.
There are two additional forms that accreditation can take. Programmatic accreditation refers to the accrediting of a specialized program within a school. Institutional accreditation applies to the entirety of the college or university.
How Accreditation Impacts Students
Whether a college is accredited and what type of accreditation it holds greatly impacts its students. If you choose to pursue graduate study, the accreditation status of the college at which you received your undergraduate degree will certainly affect your prospects of getting into your chosen school. An undergraduate degree received at an institution that is not accredited will most likely not be accepted for admission by an accredited graduate school. In addition, the type of accreditation your school holds may be of importance when applying for admission to graduate school. For example, a degree received at a nationally accredited institution may not necessarily be accepted for admission to a regionally accredited graduate program. Checking with an admissions counselor at your desired school is the best way to ascertain whether your credits will be accepted.
Accreditation is also significant if you are planning to transfer from one college to another. Credits earned at a school that has not received any form of accreditation will most likely not be able to be transferred to an accredited institution. Credits which you earned at a nationally recognized school may or may not be accepted if you are transferring to a regionally accredited institution. It is important to check with the admissions department of the school to which you wish to transfer in order to inquire about whether your credits will count.
In addition, the accreditation status of your college will likely impact your job prospects after graduation. According to the Council for Higher Education, employers strongly value a degree from an accredited institution when evaluating a candidate's credentials and qualifications for employment.
How to Know if Your School is Accredited
Most schools' administrators work diligently in order to maintain their accreditation status. A loss of accreditation can greatly damage a school's reputation and result in a decrease in enrollment as well as a loss of federal funding. If you are unsure of whether your college is accredited, you can find out by visiting the U.S.D.E.'s searchable accreditation database. There, you can look for schools by name and location to find out if their accreditation is current and how long they have maintained their status. This database includes traditional colleges as well as distance and e-learning programs.
Article Resources:
U.S. Dept. of Education: Accreditation in the United Stateshttp://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation.html
U.S. Dept. of Education: Diploma Mills and Accreditation
http://www.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/accreditation.html
U.S. Dept. of Education: Regional and National Institutional Accrediting Agencies
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg7.html
U.S. Department of Education: Searchable Database of Accredited Institutions and Programs
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
Council for Higher Education: An Overview of U.S. Accreditation
http://www.chea.org/pdf/overview_US_accred_8-03.pdf
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