The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) is a voluntary group of educational organizations affiliated for the purpose of improving continuing education and training. Through its support of an independent Accrediting Commission, the ACCET membership promulgates and sustains the Standards for Accreditation along with policies and procedures that measure and ensure educational standards of quality. ACCET is recognized for this purpose by the U.S. Secretary of Education and, accordingly, is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
To be eligible for accreditation by ACCET, an institution must meet the following requirements:
- It has an identified body of individuals actively involved in a prescribed learning format and setting. Programs offered must provide a clearly interactive component of educational methodology appropriate to the subject matter and expected training outcomes.
- It meets applicable state licensing requirements.
- It has a predominant portion of the participants involved in a continuing education experience convergent with those outlined in Document 24 – Profile of Institutional Clientele and Programs.
- It can demonstrate continuous, on-going and successful operation of the institution in the delivery of education and/or training programs for at least two consecutive years immediately prior to application. At minimum, one graduating class must have completed their training.
ACCET’s accreditation is a ten-step process requiring extensive knowledge of the federal, state, and accreditation compliance. The process is as follow:
- Inquiry by the Institution: create an account on Accrediting Management System
- Application: Submit an accreditation application with supporting documents
- Accreditation Workshop: this mandatory workshop is designed to provide an in-depth study of the ACCET accreditation process in order to assist the institution in the preparation of the ASER, the on-site evaluation and the actions of the Commission.
- Analytic Self-Evaluation Report (ASER): this evaluation is expected to induce the Institution to reassess its objectives, resources, programs, policies, procedures, and achievements.
- Examination Team: after the ASER has been received by the ACCET staff, arrangements are made for an examination team to make an on-site visit.
- On-site Examination: the primary responsibility of the Examination Team during the visit is to establish an objective comparative analysis of the institution’s ASER and the operational characteristics relevant to Standards for Accreditation, as demonstrated by actual practices.
- Team Report: a copy of the Examination Team Report is sent to the applicant Institution within 30 days of the end of the visit via the institution’s portal on ACCET’s website, providing an opportunity to respond and to submit additional documentation, pertinent to factors existent at the time of the visit, for consideration by the Accrediting Commission.
- Accrediting Commission Action: the Accrediting Commission meets periodically to review and evaluate institutions, and may accredit for a period up to five years (a maximum of three years for initial vocational school applicants), defer accreditation pending further evidence or required changes, deny accreditation or, withdraw accreditation from an institution that is currently accredited.
- Scheduling: an initial application expires one year from the date of receipt at ACCET, unless officially accepted along with the subsequent receipt of an ASER, request for on-site visit and fees within that timeframe.
ACCET fees are based on the direct costs of specific activities as well as ACCET’s operating costs related to implementing the accreditation process.
Fees applicable to single programs or institutions seeking initial accreditation for main campus only include the following:
| Service: | 2017 Fee: | |
|---|---|---|
| Accrediting Agency Fees: | $12,000 | |
| Documentation Compilation | $19,150 | |
| Accreditation Review Preparation | $21,110 | |
| Consulting Services | $18,750 |