FAQs

Q?Can member institutions lose accredited status?

Yes.
An institution is only granted accreditation for one, three or five years. Following that term, it must reapply and repeat the accreditation process to maintain their status.
Institutions may resign accreditation status at anytime, and accreditation may also be withdrawn by by AACTS if the institution falls below AACTS standards.

Q?How is the determination made by AACTS to approve or deny accreditation?

The Commission makes the determination following review of the team report written after the on-site evaluation, and additional information that is supplied by the school in response to the report.

Q?What steps are involved in the reaccreditation process? (Doc 45)

For detailed reaccreditation information, please refer to the Reaccreditation Process

Q?What does reaccreditation cost?

Reference the AACTS Fee Schedule for complete information.

Q?How often is reaccreditation necessary?

Accreditation is granted for a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years. After the initial approval of accreditation is over, the institution must apply for reaccreditation. The process is the same as the initial application—it includes an application, ASER, and on-site assessment prior to the expiration date on AACTS accreditation. Applicants for reaccreditation should reference AACTS Document 45 – Steps to Follow for Reaccreditation. AACTS also reserves the right to insist upon an on-site assessment at anytime if it deems the measure warranted.

Q?Once accredited, what ongoing requirements exist?

Ongoing accreditation requirements consist of the submission of three annual reports, one each for Financial, Enrollment and Completion & Placement, along with paying annual fees.
More detailed information is available on our page about Maintaining Accreditation

Q?Does accreditation allow me to offer CEUs?

AACTS accredited institutions are fully authorized to offer the Continuing Education Unit, a commonly recognized standard measure for continuing education and training. It is particularly recognized as applicable to professional and personal development of adult learners in formal education.

Q?Who determines AACTS standards, and how often are they evaluated?

The Standards for Accreditation are constantly monitored and reviewed by the Accrediting Commission. Periodically, at intervals no greater than five years, they are submitted to the membership for comment and review.

Q?What is the role of the Commission in the process?

The AACTS Commission has between eleven and 15 members; they manage the administrative and fiscal transactions of the agency and serve as a judicial body with authority to interpret and apply accreditation standards to determine if an applicant meets the published criteria. The Commission makes the decision, based on the eligibility criteria whether or not an applicant is competent to uphold the AACTS standards in their educational programs. The Commission is further responsible for making any proposals to changes in the eligibility requirements and standards to the members for review and approval. The commission may adopt policies and procedures it feels are necessary to the accreditation process. Five members of the Commission must be from the public and not affiliated in any way with the AACTS membership. Additional consumer and public representatives may be appointed as advisers to the Commission. Commission meetings are three times a year, additionally there is an annual conference and special meetings as needed by the Commission in accordance with AACTS Bylaws.

Q?Does AACTS offer accreditation to institutions that offer distance learning?

Yes– AACTS offers accreditation to institutions that have programs taught entirely or in some part by interactive distance learning, provided they do not exceed Associates Degree length.

Q?Does AACTS accredit non-US institutions?

Yes– AACTS currently performs accreditation for institutions and their branches in North and South America, the Middle East and Puerto Rico.

Q?Are program and institutional changes allowed during accreditation?

After the initial application and before ASER is submitted, any changes to the information on the application needs to have an addendum to the application submitted. It should have a narrative explanation and documentation attached. However, after the ASER is submitted to AACTS, no substantive changes will be further considered for AACTS approval until after the commission has met, reviewed, and taken action on the initial accreditation application. Substantive modifications include new programs, major program and/or modifications of courses and relocation out of the area. Since the ASER offers a comprehensive representation at a specific time, the Commission seeks to ensure that the process is focused on a stable and accurate representation of the institution’s operations.

Q?What is ASER?

ASER is Analytical Self Evaluation Report, a self-study, and it is part of both the initial application and reaccreditation processes. It is completed by the applicant institution and based on either an institutional or programmatic template that is provided by AACTS. The ASER speaks to questions that are related to the eight AACTS standards, and it serves as the applicant’s structured resume. It addresses the history, management, mission, coursework, admissions, policies and quality measures, as well as plans for growth and further improvement.
Responses for each question follow standards in guidelines, making it apparent that the process provokes a critical self-analysis that the on-site assessment team will be tasked to verify or challenge based on operational activities and observations. During the process, issues may come up that mandate revisions to policies, procedures and practices; this should be viewed solely as a positive outcome of the process to inspire improvement and self-analysis. The process is designed to be a team effort of the institution’s members and should require an elevated commitment level that includes input and interaction from a broad cross-section of faculty and staff. Ideas, proposals and questions that are raised while preparing the ASER are typically good opportunities for future growth.

Is there a ‘candidate’ or ‘pre-accreditation’ status?

No.
“Candidate status” is offered by some accrediting agencies, but typically it is for institutions offering degree granting programs longer than two years in length; the accreditation process for these institutions might actually take two years or more. This is why some agencies offer the institution a “candidate” or “pre-accreditation” status with limited recognition, without having completed the accreditation process. AACTS does not offer “candidate” or other “pre-accreditation” status that would provide applicants recognition or benefits of accreditation prior to Commission approval.

Q?When would an accreditation workshop be needed?

Accreditation workshop attendance by a member of the institution is required during an initial accreditation application, as well as those applying for reaccreditation. During the initial accreditation, the Initial Inquiry must be approved before an applicant can attend a workshop. It is further recommended that applicants attend prior to submission of the application documents, and required that they do so before the ASER is submitted– the requirement is the same for reaccreditation applications.
The accreditation workshops were developed to review updates to AACTS policies and procedures, and deep review of the AACTS accreditation process. These workshops will assist the applicant in preparing the ASER and being prepared for the on-site assessment, as well as commission actions.

Q?Am I guaranteed accreditation by paying the fees?

Final determination of accreditation status is done by the AACTS commission at the end of the cycle and after review of the on-site team’s report and added information that is submitted in reply to the report. The commission may vote to approve, deny or defer the accreditation until the commission determines the institution meets all AACTS requirements.

Q?How much are fees for the initial accreditation?

Costs for initial accreditation are roughly $8000; the final costs are determined by the scope of the programs offered by the institution. The assessment team that visits on-site requires a curriculum curriculum specialist in each varied program offering, so that additional types of programs raise the costs of the site visit and its corresponding fees. A good reference is the AACTS Fee Schedule that provides detailed information.
In addition, there would be a cost for an optional preliminary visit, transportation and accommodation charges for attending workshops if the institution is outside of North America; business class airfare is required for the visiting evaluation team.

Q?What steps are involved in the accreditation process?

Please refer to the detailed explanation of the Accreditation Process to find out more.

Q?How lengthy is the process?

There is no absolute time frame for the accreditation process, but twelve months is a reasonable expectation for an institution that is committed to the process, and willing to expend the necessary resources and investment. The initial application does expire one year from the date of AACTS receipt, unless it is accepted together with a subsequent ASER/BASER, request for on-site assessment and the processing fees during that time frame. Applicants that are scheduled for their on-site evaluation during a specific review cycle, either April, August or December, must submit relevant documentation and fees prior to the visit. The AACTS logistical and workload may necessitate rescheduling visits for a later review cycle.
You can also refer to our Review Schedule for further detailed information.

Q?What are the requirements for accreditation?

These are basic AACTS accreditation requirements

Meeting state licensing requirements.
Demonstrates continuous, successful operation of the institution delivering education or training programs for two years prior to application.
Has not had a prior accreditation withdrawn nor voluntarily withdrawn under a show cause action within a year before application to AACTS.
Has been under the same control or ownership for at least two (2) years prior to application.
Offers post-secondary certificates, degrees or diplomas up to Associate’s level. If higher level degrees, ie, Bachelor’s level, are granted by the institution, they are not eligible for AACTS accreditation.

Further details about our Eligibility Requirements are available.

Q?What institutions are eligible for accreditation?

AACTS accredits institutions which offer vocational and/or avocational programs. These might include short programs offered at the diploma, degree or certificate level, as well as short courses and those offered via distance learning. AACTS does not offer accreditation to institutions which offer programs longer than an Associate’s Degree, or to those institutions which offer cosmetology programs.
The following types of institutions may be eligible for AACTS accreditation

Professional and trade associations
Private career schools
Corporation training departments
Intensive English programs
Labor union programs
Religious entities and ethical societies
Public affairs and cultural societies
Social service, personal development and volunteer entities

Q?What is the difference between program and institutional accreditation?

Institutional accreditation (for those institutions not already accredited) is the assessment and review process of the institution’s compliance with the standards of the accrediting agency; these standards cross all areas of the organization, including management, goals and planning, finances, instructional staff, curriculum, student services and admissions and testing.
U.S. Department of Education (U.S.D.E) accredited institutions may seek accreditation for certain programs that enable graduates of these programs to be eligible to sit for nationally recognized certifications. This type of accreditation is offered by some agencies recognized by the U.S.D.E.
AACTS does not offer this type of accreditation to its members; however, those institutions that are accredited by AACTS often offer programs with accreditation through a different accrediting agency.

Q?What are the benefits of Accreditation?

Our Benefits of Accreditation page offers a detailed answer to this question.

Q?What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a voluntary process of quality assurance for educational institutions. Within the process is a comprehensive and objective system of outside peer reviews that are used to determine whether the program or institution meets the standards of the accrediting body. AACTS provides institutional accreditation for members.
Further information is available at AACTS Document 1 – The Accreditation Process

Q?What is the complaint filing process against a school?

When issues arise, students should try to work through the school’s formal complaint process to negotiate a reasonable and fair solution. If a student exercises available channels to resolve the problem, and it has not been resolved, lodging a written complaint with AACTS is the next step.
Referring to AACTS’s complaint policies offers detailed information.

Q?How to find out which schools offer federal student loans or grants?

Searching our Member Directory for schools of interest, and checking for listing as Approved for Title IV, which means the school’s students can apply for federal funds.

Q?How is an AACTS-accredited school found?

Searching the AACTS Member Directory

Q?Why is it important to attend an accredited school?

Institutions which meet the requirements of the Department of Education accreditation have submitted to an assessment and comparison with their peers; this evaluation consists of an established set of standards and qualifications. The accredited school has demonstrated compliance with these standards upon initial application and at prescribed intervals.