OMB Control Number 1840-0788 | Expiration Date 02/28/2023

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

Accreditation Group

ACCREDITATION HANDBOOK

In accordance with 34 CFR Part 602:

The Secretary’s Recognition of Accrediting Agencies

Revised February 2022
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Contents 

Overview.....................................................................................................................................................................3

Standard of Review ....................................................................................................................................................3

General Submission Information................................................................................................................................4

§ 602.10 - Link to Federal programs...........................................................................................................................4

§ 602.11 - Geographic area of accrediting activities..................................................................................................5

§ 602.12 Accrediting experience................................................................................................................................6

§ 602.14 Purpose and organization............................................................................................................................8

§ 602.15 Administrative and fiscal responsibilities................................................................................................. 10

§ 602.16 Accreditation and preaccreditation standards......................................................................................... 12

§ 602.17 Application of standards in reaching an accrediting decision.................................................................. 16

§ 602.18 Ensuring consistency in decision-making. ................................................................................................ 18

§ 602.19 Monitoring and reevaluation of accredited institutions and programs................................................... 20

§ 602.20 Enforcement of standards........................................................................................................................ 21

§ 602.21 Review of standards. ................................................................................................................................ 22

§ 602.22 Substantive changes and other reporting requirements. ........................................................................ 23

§ 602.23 Operating procedures all agencies must have. ........................................................................................ 27

§ 602.24 Additional procedures certain institutional agencies must have............................................................. 29

§ 602.25 Due process. ............................................................................................................................................. 32

§ 602.26 Notification of accrediting decisions. ....................................................................................................... 33

§ 602.27 Other information an agency must provide the Department.................................................................. 35

§ 602.28 Regard for decisions of States and other accrediting agencies................................................................ 35

Appendix: Required responses by agency type for 34 CFR §§ 602.10-602.28........................................................ 37
Page 3 of 37

Overview

The purpose of this Handbook is to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law

and regulations, as well as additional clarity on guidance to accrediting agencies on the documentation for 

submission of a petition1 from an agency seeking recognition from the U.S. Secretary of Education under the 

Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Accrediting agencies recognized by the Secretary identify 

those agencies, for Federal purposes, as reliable authorities of the quality of education or training provided by 

the institutions of higher education and the higher education programs they accredit. 

This Handbook does not supersede applicable regulations or statute. This Handbook supersedes the previous 

version of the Handbook issued on December 22, 2020, in full.

Standard of Review

The Secretary’s Criteria for Recognition are organized by sections on the U.S. Department of Education’s eRecognition website. For each of these sections, Department staff will review the application and related 

materials, including the results of site visits and file reviews, and issue one of the following recommended 

findings in each section and overall recognition recommendation:

Fully compliant – the agency has the necessary policies, practices, and standards in place and, in each 

example provided or reviewed during the staff analyst’s observation, has effectively adhered to those 

policies, practices, and/or standards. The agency could also be found compliant if the agency has the 

appropriate policies, practices, and standards in place, but the agency has not had the need to 

implement or demonstrate compliance with the policies, practices, or standards during the review 

period. 

Substantially compliant – the agency demonstrated that it has the necessary policies, practices, and 

standards in place and generally adheres with fidelity to those policies, practices, and standards; or the 

agency has policies, practices, and standards in place that need minor modifications to reflect its 

generally compliant practice. If Department staff determines that the agency has come into compliance 

during the review period, this designation may require no additional response or action from the 

agency. However, Department staff or the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and 

Integrity (NACIQI) could recommend, or the SDO could require, that the agency submit a monitoring 

report to demonstrate that it has become or remains compliant.

Not compliant – the agency does not have the necessary policies, practices, and standards in place, or 

has the policies, practices, and standards in place but has consistently failed to adhere to them as 

demonstrated by the examples provided or reviewed during Department staff’s observations. A finding 

of noncompliance may result in a recommendation from Department staff or NACIQI, or a decision by 

the senior Department official (SDO), that an agency's recognition be denied, limited, suspended, or 

terminated. Alternatively, Department staff or NACIQI could recommend, or the SDO could require, that 

the agency come into compliance and submit a compliance report that would be reviewed by 

Department staff and NACIQI at a subsequent meeting, and by the SDO, to make a final recognition or 

compliance decision.

These recommended findings are presented to NACIQI and the SDO. An overview of the Secretary's recognition

process for accrediting agencies is available here.

1 The term “petition” has the same meaning as the term “application” as used in Subpart C of 34 CFR 602.
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General Submission Information

• Where applicable, agencies that accredit both institutions and programs must provide documentation 

and examples related to their review of both institutions and programs.

• During a file review, Department staff must be provided with access to agency files and documents, 

including electronic files, necessary to evaluate the agency’s compliance with applicable statutory and 

regulatory requirements. The Department must be able to obtain and archive copies of those 

documents, in either an electronic or paper-based format, to serve as documentation for the analyst’s 

recommended finding and for review by NACIQI. The Department may be required to disclose some or 

all of these documents to the public under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and/or Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (FACA) requirements. In such a case, the Department requires the agency to redact 

information or designate information for redaction from those documents, as provided by § 602.31(f), 

before they are provided to the Department or released to the public.

• Selection of institutions and/or programs reviewed during the Department staff’s file review will be 

made by Department staff. This will include selection of files and institutions and/or programs based on 

compliance factors, litigation, and news reports, accrediting agency actions, financial concerns, and/or

random selection, but will be limited to institutions and/or programs reviewed during the agency’s 

current recognition period. However, the agency can provide additional files it believes offer a more 

relevant example of the agency’s or its member institutions’ or programs’ work.

• Information cannot be submitted via a live webpage or other shared document. All documents 

submitted by the agency must be submitted in a manner that, once submitted, can no longer be edited 

and meets other Department requirements. This requirement is necessary to avoid discrepancies if 

information found in an online document, such as a webpage, is changed after submission to the 

Department. The Department must maintain an accurate and contemporaneous record of information, 

as required by the regulations at §§ 602.31, 602.34(c), and 602.36(a) and may request a specific type of 

submission in order to meet Federal cybersecurity and other requirements.

• Definitions that apply to the Department’s recognition regulations can be found at 34 CFR §§ 600.2 and 

602.3. 

• For further information, including up-to-date contact information for Department staff, please visit 

https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.

§ 602.10 - Link to Federal programs.

The agency must demonstrate that--

(a) If the agency accredits institutions of higher education, its accreditation is a required element in 

enabling at least one of those institutions to establish eligibility to participate in HEA programs. If, 

pursuant to 34 CFR 600.11(b), an agency accredits one or more institutions that participate in HEA 

programs and that could designate the agency as its link to HEA programs, the agency satisfies this 

requirement, even if the institution currently designates another institutional accrediting agency as its 

Federal link; or

(b) If the agency accredits institutions of higher education or higher education programs, or both, its 

accreditation is a required element in enabling at least one of those entities to establish eligibility to 

participate in non-HEA Federal programs.
Page 5 of 37

In Petition File Review

For agencies that accredit institutions to participate in HEA programs (602.10(a)): 

• Submitting a petition for initial recognition: the agency must provide a letter written 

to it by at least one institution or program attesting that, should the agency become 

recognized, the institution or program could rely on the agency’s accreditation to 

establish eligibility to participate in HEA programs.

• Submitting a petition for renewal of recognition: the agency must submit the name of 

one of its accredited institutions that participates in an HEA program and that could be 

made eligible to participate in such a program as a result of accreditation by the agency.

For agencies that accredit institutions or programs, and such accreditation establishes 

eligibility for at least one program or institution to participate in non-HEA programs

(602.10(b)):

• Submitting a petition for initial or renewal of recognition: the agency must provide 

the citation for, and a copy of the specific portion of the authorizing law, regulation or 

other Federal requirement (which is not subregulatory guidance), stating accreditation 

by an agency recognized by the Secretary of Education is necessary for an institution or 

program to participate in the Federal program; and documentation that at least one 

institution or program does rely on or, once recognition is obtained, will rely on the 

agency's accreditation to participate or establish eligibility to participate in such a 

program.

No additional 

documentation 

required

§ 602.11 - Geographic area of accrediting activities.

The agency must demonstrate that it conducts accrediting activities within—

(a) A State, if the agency is part of a State government;

(b) A region or group of States chosen by the agency in which an agency provides accreditation to a main 

campus, a branch campus, or an additional location of an institution. An agency whose geographic area 

includes a State in which a branch campus or additional location is located is not required to also 

accredit a main campus in that State. An agency whose geographic area includes a State in which only a 

branch campus or additional location is located is not required to accept an application for accreditation 

from other institutions in such State; or

(c) The United States.

In Petition File Review

• A list of States in which the agency conducts accreditation activities, including all 

States where the agency accredits a main campus, a branch campus, or an additional 

location. The agency should also note any States where it only accredits branch 

campuses or additional locations and will not consider accrediting main campuses. 

• A current list of accredited and preaccredited (if applicable) institutions and/or 

programs (including branch campuses and additional locations).

• For agencies that have expanded their geographic area, a list of all institutions or 

programs that have been accredited/preaccredited within the expanded area and the 

process under which those institutions or programs were evaluated if differing from 

other institutions or programs accredited by the agency.

o For at least one institution or program accredited or preaccredited by the 

agency under the expanded geographic area: 

• Records of 

accreditation 

activities reflecting 

the agency’s 

published scope.
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In Petition File Review

1) the letter of interest or the application from the institution or 

program in which it states its interest in seeking accreditation or 

preaccreditation;

2) the letter from the agency demonstrating that the application was 

accepted for review or that the accreditation/preaccreditation 

review process was commencing; 

3) the letter from the agency granting accreditation or 

preaccreditation;

4) all files and communication related to the agency’s review of the 

institution or program, including the application that initiated the 

accreditation or preaccreditation review process; and 

5) records of correspondence between the agency and the 

institution or program regarding the accreditation or 

preaccreditation process and/or the institution’s or program’s 

accreditation or preaccreditation status.

§ 602.12 Accrediting experience.

(a) An agency seeking initial recognition must demonstrate that it has--

(1) Granted accreditation or preaccreditation prior to submitting an application for recognition—

(i) To one or more institutions if it is requesting recognition as an institutional accrediting agency 

and to one or more programs if it is requesting recognition as a programmatic accrediting 

agency;

(ii) That covers the range of the specific degrees, certificates, institutions, and programs for 

which it seeks recognition.; and

(iii) In the geographic area for which it seeks recognition; and

(2) Conducted accrediting activities, including deciding whether to grant or deny accreditation or 

preaccreditation, for at least two years prior to seeking recognition, unless the agency seeking initial 

recognition is affiliated with, or is a division of, an already recognized agency. 

(b)

(1) A recognized agency seeking an expansion of its scope of recognition must follow the requirements of 

§§ 602.31 and 602.32 and demonstrate that it has accreditation or preaccreditation policies in place that 

meet all the criteria for recognition covering the range of the specific degrees, certificates, institutions, 

and programs for which it seeks the expansion of scope and has engaged and can show support from 

relevant constituencies for the expansion. A change to an agency's geographic area of accrediting 

activities does not constitute an expansion of the agency's scope of recognition, but the agency must 

notify the Department of, and publicly disclose on the agency's website, any such change.

(2) An agency that cannot demonstrate experience in making accreditation or preaccreditation decisions 

under the expanded scope at the time of its application or review for an expansion of scope may—

(i) If it is an institutional accrediting agency, be limited in the number of institutions to which it 

may grant accreditation under the expanded scope for a designated period of time; or

(ii) If it is a programmatic accrediting agency, be limited in the number of programs to which it 

may grant accreditation under that expanded scope for a certain period of time; and

(iii) Be required to submit a monitoring report regarding accreditation decisions made under the 

expanded scope.
Page 7 of 37

In Petition File Review

For agencies seeking initial recognition [See § 602.32(b)]: 

• A list of all institutions and/or programs that the agency has accredited 

or preaccredited during the previous five years, including their geographic 

location, credential levels included in the preaccreditation or 

accreditation, the dates on which the institutions/programs applied for 

accreditation/preaccreditation, and the dates on which the 

institutions/programs received accreditation or preaccreditation, if 

accreditation or preaccreditation has been awarded.

• For at least one program or institution accredited or preaccredited by 

the agency, the following documents: 

1) the letter of interest or the application from the institution or 

program in which it states its interest in seeking accreditation 

or preaccreditation and will rely on the agency as its link to a 

Federal program;

2) the letter from the agency demonstrating that the application 

was accepted for review or that the 

accreditation/preaccreditation review process was 

commencing; 

3) the letter from the agency granting accreditation or 

preaccreditation;

4) any site visit reports for the institution or program; 

5) any special reviews of the institution or program conducted 

by the agency; and 

6) all decision letters regarding accreditation/preaccreditation

or substantive changes issued by the agency for the 

institution or program.

• For an agency that is affiliated with, or is a division of, an already 

recognized agency, the requirement for two years of experience does not 

apply, but the agency must submit documentation of that relationship, 

including, but not limited to, budgets and contracts between the two 

parties.

• Letters from at least three educators, three accredited (by this agency 

or another recognized agency) institutions or programs, and, if 

appropriate, three employers or practitioners, explaining why the letter’s 

author supports the agency’s application for recognition, which could 

include the explanation of the role for such an agency and the reasons for 

their support.

For agencies seeking an expansion of scope (see § 602.32(j)]:

• A list of institutions/programs that the agency has accredited or 

preaccredited covering the range of the expansion of scope request, if the 

agency has performed this function outside of its current scope of 

recognition. If the agency has not already performed this function outside 

of its scope of recognition, it must provide documentation of the agency’s

• Department staff must be able 

to review additional files of 

accredited or preaccredited 

institutions and/or programs, 

including letters or applications 

that initiated the accreditation or 

preaccreditation review process, 

records of correspondence 

between the agency and the 

institution or program regarding 

the accreditation or 

preaccreditation process or the 

institution’s or program’s 

accreditation or preaccreditation 

status, and letters from the 

agency indicating that 

accreditation or preaccreditation 

had been granted.

For agencies seeking an 

expansion of scope:

• Documentation that 

administrators, practitioners, and 

educators experienced in 

instructional delivery in the area 

of the expansion of scope:

o participated in the 

development and/or 

approval of the policies 

and procedures related 

to the area of scope 

expansion and serve on 

the decision-making 

body; and

o have or will participate 

on site visit teams for 

institutions or programs 

seeking preaccreditation 

or accreditation under 

the expansion of scope.
Page 8 of 37

In Petition File Review

standards, policies, or procedures developed and that will be applied by 

the agency if granted the expansion of scope.

• Letters from at least three institution or programs that would seek 

preaccreditation or accreditation under the expansion of scope.

• An explanation of how the agency will expand capacity to support the 

expansion of scope, if necessary, and how its budget will support the

expansion of capacity, if needed.

• Documentation on the agency’s plans for expansion, including how 

many programs or institutions the agency expects to accredit under the 

expanded scope in the next five years.

For agencies that have changed their geographic area of accrediting 

activities (see § 602.12(b)(1)):

• A copy of the notification to the Department of the change in 

geographic area of accrediting activities.

• Links to all locations where the agency has publicly disclosed the change 

in geographic area of accrediting activities.

§ 602.14 Purpose and organization.

(a) The Secretary recognizes only the following four categories of accrediting agencies:

(1) A State agency that—

(i) Has as a principal purpose the accrediting of institutions of higher education, higher education 

programs, or both; and

(ii) Has been listed by the Secretary as a nationally recognized accrediting agency on or before 

October 1, 1991.

(2) An accrediting agency that—

(i) Has a voluntary membership of institutions of higher education;

(ii) Has as a principal purpose the accrediting of institutions of higher education and that 

accreditation is used to provide a link to Federal HEA programs in accordance with § 602.10; and

(iii) Satisfies the “separate and independent” requirements in paragraph (b) of this section.

(3) An accrediting agency that—

(i) Has a voluntary membership; and

(ii) Has as its principal purpose the accrediting of institutions of higher education or programs, 

and the accreditation it offers is used to provide a link to non-HEA Federal programs in 

accordance with §602.10.

(4) An accrediting agency that, for purposes of determining eligibility for title IV, HEA programs—

(i)

(A) Has a voluntary membership of individuals participating in a profession; or

(B) Has as its principal purpose the accrediting of programs within institutions that are 

accredited by another nationally recognized accrediting agency; and

(ii) Satisfies the “separate and independent” requirements in paragraph (b) of this section or 

obtains a waiver of those requirements under paragraph (d) of this section. 

(b) For purposes of this section, “separate and independent” means that—
Page 9 of 37

(1) The members of the agency's decision-making body, who decide the accreditation or preaccreditation

status of institutions or programs, establish the agency's accreditation policies, or both, are not elected 

or selected by the board or chief executive officer of any related, associated, or affiliated trade 

association, professional organization, or membership organization and are not staff of the related, 

associated, or affiliated trade association, professional organization, or membership organization;

(2) At least one member of the agency's decision-making body is a representative of the public, and at

least one-seventh of the body consists of representatives of the public;

(3) The agency has established and implemented guidelines for each member of the decision-making 

body including guidelines on avoiding conflicts of interest in making decisions;

(4) The agency's dues are paid separately from any dues paid to any related, associated, or affiliated 

trade association or membership organization; and

(5) The agency develops and determines its own budget, with no review by or consultation with any 

other entity or organization.

(c) The Secretary considers that any joint use of personnel, services, equipment, or facilities by an agency and a 

related, associated, or affiliated trade association or membership organization does not violate the “separate 

and independent” requirements in paragraph (b) of this section if —

(1) The agency pays the fair market value for its proportionate share of the joint use; and

(2) The joint use does not compromise the independence and confidentiality of the accreditation process.

(d) For purposes of paragraph (a)(4) of this section, the Secretary may waive the “separate and independent” 

requirements in paragraph (b) of this section if the agency demonstrates that—

(1) The Secretary listed the agency as a nationally recognized agency on or before October 1, 1991, and 

has recognized it continuously since that date;

(2) The related, associated, or affiliated trade association or membership organization plays no role in 

making or ratifying either the accrediting or policy decisions of the agency;

(3) The agency has sufficient budgetary and administrative autonomy to carry out its accrediting 

functions independently;

(4) The agency provides to the related, associated, or affiliated trade association or membership 

organization only information it makes available to the public.

(e) An agency seeking a waiver of the “separate and independent” requirements under paragraph (d) of this 

section must apply for the waiver each time the agency seeks recognition or continued recognition.

In Petition File Review

• A narrative describing which category the agency seeks 

recognition or renewal of recognition. The appropriate 

categories are specified in §§ 602.14(a)(1), 602.14(a)(2), 

602.14(a)(3) and/or 602.14(a)(4).

• By-laws, articles of incorporation and policies, etc. defining 

the agency’s membership, its principal purposes, whether the 

programs or institutions it accredits participate in title IV 

programs, and how it meets the requirements of § 602.10.

• The agency‘s standards, policies, and procedures manual(s).

For agencies required to demonstrate compliance with the

separate and independent criteria, such as agencies 

recognized under §§ 602.14(a)(2) and 602.14(a)(4), the 

following documentation is required:

• Minutes of decision-making body 

meetings, including the names of members 

present, meeting agendas, recusals where 

appropriate from members that have a 

conflict of interest on one or more issues (if 

applicable) and written requests from 

member institutions that raise concerns 

about conflicts of interest among members 

of decision-making bodies (if the agency 

received any such letters) and responses to 

those letters that describe the resolution to 

the concern.

For agencies demonstrating compliance 

with the separate and independent 

criteria:
Page 10 of 37

In Petition File Review

• A list of members of the agency’s decision-making bodies 

(including its appeals body) describing each member’s current 

position or role on that body. The list must identify which 

member(s) represent the public and the terms of service for 

each individual.

• Page numbers of the agency‘s standards, policies, and 

procedures manual(s) that pinpoint: (1) the members of the 

agency's decision-making body and their qualifications; (2) the 

procedures followed for nominating and electing members of 

the decision- making body; and (3) the definition of public 

members and policies that determine what percentage of the 

decision-making body must be representatives of the public.

• A list of all entities the agency considers to be a related, 

associated, or affiliated trade association or membership 

organization.

• A statement of independence from any related or affiliated 

trade association, disclosure of any budgetary, supervisory, or

decision-making relationship with such organizations, and a 

description of the agency's policies for establishing and 

collecting dues separate from dues or membership fees paid to 

any related trade or professional organization.

•Copies of any contracts, MOUs, or agreements between the 

agency and its parent organization regarding personnel actions, 

the appointment of members of the agency’s board and 

decision-making bodies, the financial arrangements that exist 

between the organizations, if any, and agreements regarding 

payment for the use of shared space or services.

• A description of the process by which the agency establishes 

and approves its budget and makes financial decisions.

• A waiver request for “separate and independent” 

requirements, if applicable.

• Copies of the agency’s approved budgets 

during the recognition period and meeting 

minutes documenting when each budget 

was approved and who was involved in that 

approval.

• Minutes of meetings when decisionmaking body members are nominated and 

elected.

• Correspondence to members of decisionmaking bodies indicating that an individual 

has been nominated/elected to serve on 

that body.

• Documentation from audited financial 

statements that the agency is meeting the 

terms of contractual agreements and is 

paying market rates for any equipment, 

space, or staff it shares with the 

membership or trade organization.

§ 602.15 Administrative and fiscal responsibilities.

The agency must have the administrative and fiscal capability to carry out its accreditation activities in light of its 

requested scope of recognition. The agency meets this requirement if the agency demonstrates that—

(a) The agency has—

(1) Adequate administrative staff and financial resources to carry out its accrediting 

responsibilities; 

(2) Competent and knowledgeable individuals, qualified by education or experience in their own 

right and trained by the agency on their responsibilities, as appropriate for their roles, regarding 

the agency's standards, policies, and procedures, to conduct its on-site evaluations, apply or

establish its policies, and make its accrediting and preaccrediting decisions, including, if 

applicable to the agency's scope, their responsibilities regarding distance education and 

correspondence courses; 
Page 11 of 37

(3) Academic and administrative personnel on its evaluation, policy, and decision-making bodies, 

if the agency accredits institutions; 

(4) Educators, practitioners, and/or employers on its evaluation, policy, and decision-making 

bodies, if the agency accredits programs or single-purpose institutions that prepare students for 

a specific profession; 

(5) Representatives of the public, which may include students, on all decision-making bodies; and 

(6) Clear and effective controls, including guidelines, to prevent or resolve conflicts of interest, or 

the appearance of conflicts of interest, by the agency's—

(i) Board members; 

(ii) Commissioners; 

(iii) Evaluation team members; 

(iv) Consultants; 

(v) Administrative staff; and 

(vi) Other agency representatives; and 

(b) The agency maintains complete and accurate records of—

(1) Its last full accreditation or preaccreditation review of each institution or program, including 

on-site evaluation team reports, the institution's or program's responses to onsite reports, 

periodic review reports, any reports of special reviews conducted by the agency between regular 

reviews, and a copy of the institution's or program's most recent self-study; and 

(2) All decision letters issued by the agency regarding the accreditation and preaccreditation of 

any institution or program and any substantive changes.

In Petition File Review

• Organizational chart with names and position titles, 

length of time in role, staff departures over the last two 

years, and open positions.

• Resumes, job titles, and job descriptions of senior staff 

members, including the executive director, chief 

financial officer, and academic or accreditation directors 

(or equivalents).

• The qualifications and affiliations of all individuals who 

serve on the decision-making bodies, to include 

documentation that public representatives meet the 

Department of Education’s definition for that role.

• Documentation on how the agency seeks and selects 

public members, the criteria used for selection,

selectees’ applications, vetting, and the basis for which 

final decisions are made.

• The agency's two most recent annual financial 

statements.

• The agency's two most recent annual budgets.

• Total number of accredited programs and institutions, 

and staff-to-program or staff-to-institution ratio at the 

end of each year for the previous three years.

• List of any site visits, agency decisions, or other 

reviews that had to be postponed during the prior two 

years and the reason for the postponement.

• Staff resumes or CVs.

• Site visitor resumes, CVs, or applications.

• Resumes, CVs, or applications for all individuals 

who serve on decision-making bodies, to include 

documentation that public representatives meet 

the Department of Education’s definition for that 

role.

• Documentation of review of letters received 

from institutions or programs (including those 

received by the Department and forwarded to the 

agency) expressing concern

regarding the timeliness of agency actions and 

decisions and its ability to adhere to its published 

timelines.

• Training materials used over the prior two years 

to educate staff and agency representatives about 

the agency's standards, policies, and procedures, 

as well as attendance records and any other 

documentation of training events.

• Signed conflict-of-interest statements for 

current board members, commissioners, 

members of site visit teams that participated in 

visits during the prior two years, consultants, staff 

and others as appropriate.
Page 12 of 37

In Petition File Review

• A roster of all individuals serving on decision-making 

bodies, the role that each filled, and the policies and 

procedures related to their selection.

• A roster of all individuals who in the past year 

participated on site visit teams, how many reviews each 

participated in, with an indication of the specific focus of 

each member on that team.

2

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and 

procedures manual(s) that describe the process for 

selecting and assigning site visitors during the prior year 

or, if not applicable, during the most recent recognition 

period or the period of time the agency was performing 

accrediting reviews prior to recognition by the Secretary.

• A copy of all conflict of interest policies and procedures 

and the agency’s policies and procedures for avoiding or 

remedying conflicts of interest among members of its 

decision-making bodies.

• Sample conflict-of-interest form(s) of each type used.

• The agency’s record retention policy, which includes 

where and how documents are stored, secured, and 

retained.

• A written explanation for how the agency’s staff-toprogram or staff-to-institution member ratio is sufficient 

to meet the needs of its institutions or programs and 

perform its function thoroughly and in a timely manner, 

and if not, what the agency’s plan is to modify its staffing 

to meet those needs.

**If your agency accredits both institutions (to include 

freestanding, single-purpose) and programs and both are 

included with the agency’s scope of recognition, your 

agency will be required to respond to both §§ 

602.15(a)(3) and 602.15(a)(4)**

• Documentation of instances (such as meeting 

minutes or correspondence with an institution or 

program regarding concerns about a potential site 

visitor, etc.) in which individuals recused 

themselves from activities or decisions based on a 

conflict-of-interest concern, if such instances 

exist.

• Formal complaints relating to conflicts of 

interest, if they exist, and an explanation of the 

measures the agency took to resolve the conflict 

or confirm that none exists.

• Department staff will spot check files to ensure 

that adequate records are being maintained for 

each accredited or preaccredited institution or 

program, as described in this section.

§ 602.16 Accreditation and preaccreditation standards.

(a) The agency must demonstrate that it has standards for accreditation, and preaccreditation, if offered, that 

are sufficiently rigorous to ensure that the agency is a reliable authority regarding the quality of the education or 

training provided by the institutions or programs it accredits. The agency meets this requirement if the following 

conditions are met: 

2 Note: The Department has recently issued guidance in connection with the COVID-19 national emergency approving the 

temporary use of telecommunications technology to conduct institution or program site visits and has provided the 

temporary opportunity for agencies to add new policies to support virtual site visits with approval of their decision-making 

bodies. At this time, agencies should continue to comply with the COVID-19 guidance found on the Department's website at 

https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus/program-information#highered.
Page 13 of 37

(1) The agency’s accreditation standards must set forth clear expectations for the institutions or 

programs it accredits in the following areas: 

(i) Success with respect to student achievement in relation to the institution's mission, which may 

include different standards for different institutions or programs, as established by the 

institution, including, as appropriate, consideration of State licensing examinations, course 

completion, and job placement rates. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, 

and procedures manual(s) that describe the 

standards set by the agency for measuring student 

achievement. These pages must describe the way 

the agency evaluates adherence to those 

requirements and the way it enforces compliance.

• A narrative on how the agency determined that

its student achievement standards are sufficiently 

rigorous to ensure that the agency is a reliable 

authority regarding the quality of education 

provided by the institutions or programs it accredits. 

• A narrative (and related exhibits) that explain how 

the agency reviews student achievement outcomes 

within the accreditation review process.

• A copy of a self-study from at least one institution 

selected by Department staff, with page numbers 

identifying the sections relevant to these criteria. If 

that self-study does not demonstrate noncompliance in this area, the agency will provide one 

that does, with page numbers identifying the 

sections relevant to these criteria, to demonstrate 

agency review and action when an institution does 

not meet the agency’s standards.

• A copy of the site visit report and decision letter 

from the same institution.

**The selection of an institution by the Department 

for inclusion within the petition is limited to those 

agencies that accredit institutions for Title IV 

purposes. All other agencies will choose their own 

example for submission.**

• A sample of self-studies or relevant portions of selfstudies that could include any institution or program 

that underwent an accreditation or preaccreditation 

review by the agency during the recognition period. 

Department staff will select and review at least three 

self-studies (or fewer if there were fewer reviews 

during the recognition period), unless the agency has 

performed accreditation or preaccreditation reviews 

for more than 50 institutions or programs during the 

recognition period, in which case Department staff will 

select up to an additional three self-studies for review. 

If no institutions or programs underwent accreditation 

or preaccreditation review during the recognition 

period, the agency’s compliance evaluation will be 

limited to its standards, policies, and procedures 

regarding self-studies.

• Site visit reports and decision letters from the same 

institutions or programs whose self-studies were 

selected for review.

(ii) Curricula. 

(iii) Faculty. 

(iv) Facilities, equipment, and supplies. 

(v) Fiscal and administrative capacity as appropriate to the specified scale of operations. 

(vi) Student support services. 
Page 14 of 37

(vii) Recruiting and admissions practices, academic calendars, catalogs, publications, grading, 

and advertising. 

(viii) Measures of program length and the objectives of the degrees or credentials offered. 

(ix) Record of student complaints received by, or available to, the agency. 

(x) Record of compliance with the institution's program responsibilities under title IV of the Act, 

based on the most recent student loan default rate data provided by the Secretary, the results of 

financial or compliance audits, program reviews, and any other information that the Secretary 

may provide to the agency; and 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and 

procedures manual(s) relevant to these criteria.

• A narrative explaining the agency's expectations for an 

institution’s or program’s review of its performance against these 

standards as part of the institution's or program’s self-study 

process.

• A narrative that explains how site visit teams review the 

institution’s or program’s performance against each type of 

standard.

• A self-study from one institution selected by Department staff 

related to the agency’s review of the institution’s or program’s 

performance against these standards. If that self-study does not 

demonstrate non-compliance in this area, the agency will provide 

one that does.

• For each of the standards in 602.16(a)(1)(ii)-(x), identify three

institutions or programs which the agency found to be out of 

compliance during the recognition period, to assist the 

Department in selecting files for file review. If no institutions or 

programs were found out of compliance on any particular 

standard, please indicate that in your petition. If fewer than three 

institutions or programs were found out of compliance, identify 

those institutions or programs.

• A copy of the site visit report and decision letter from the same 

institution.

**The selection of an institution by the Department for inclusion 

within the petition is limited to those agencies that accredit 

institutions for Title IV purposes. All other agencies will choose 

their own example for submission.**

• Self-studies as described in the 

Handbook under 602.16(a)(1)(i).

• Site visit reports and decision letters 

from the institutions or programs whose 

self-studies were selected for review.

For each of the institutions or programs 

selected by the Department for its 

review of agency action relating to noncompliance with the standards in 

602.16(a)(1)(ii)-(x), self-studies, site visit 

reports, and decision letters 

• Records that document agency 

reviews of the most recent student loan 

default rate data provided by the 

Secretary, the results of financial or 

compliance audits, program reviews, 

and any other information that the 

Secretary may provide to the agency, as 

appropriate.

• A review of other records, based on 

complaints received by the Department

or other knowledge held by the 

Secretary, regarding program review 

findings, or Department data indicating 

an institution is high-risk.

(2) The agency's preaccreditation standards, if offered, must--

(i) Be appropriately related to the agency's accreditation standards; and

(ii) Not permit the institution or program to hold preaccreditation status for more than five 

years before a final accrediting action is made. 
Page 15 of 37

In Petition File Review

• A copy of the agency’s preaccreditation standards, if applicable.

• A copy of a self-study from one institution or program seeking or 

in preaccreditation status during the period of recognition, if 

applicable.

• A copy of the site visit report and decision letter from the same 

institution or program.

• A list of all programs or institutions granted preaccreditation 

during the recognition period and any actions on accreditation and 

their relevant dates for each.

• Additional samples of self-studies, site 

visit reports, and decision letters from 

institutions or programs seeking or 

granted preaccreditation status, if 

applicable. 

(b) Agencies are not required to apply the standards described in paragraph (a)(1)(x) of this section to 

institutions that do not participate in title IV, HEA programs. Under such circumstance, the agency’s 

grant of accreditation or preaccreditation must specify that the grant, by request of the institution, does 

not include participation by the institution in title IV, HEA programs. 

(c) If the agency only accredits programs and does not serve as an institutional accrediting agency for 

any of those programs, its accreditation standards must address the areas in paragraph (a)(1) of this 

section in terms of the type and level of the program rather than in terms of the institution. 

(d)

(1) If the agency has or seeks to include within its scope of recognition the evaluation of the 

quality of institutions or programs offering distance education, correspondence courses, or direct 

assessment education, the agency's standards must effectively address the quality of an 

institution's distance education, correspondence courses, or direct assessment education in the 

areas identified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(2) The agency is not required to have separate standards, procedures, or policies for the 

evaluation of distance education or correspondence courses. 

(e) If none of the institutions an agency accredits participates in any title IV, HEA program, or if the 

agency only accredits programs within institutions that are accredited by a nationally recognized 

institutional accrediting agency, the agency is not required to have the accreditation standards described 

in paragraphs (a)(1)(viii) and (a)(1)(x) of this section. 

(f) An agency that has established and applies the standards in paragraph (a) of this section may 

establish any additional accreditation standards it deems appropriate. 

(g) Nothing in paragraph (a) of this section restricts--

(1) An accrediting agency from setting, with the involvement of its members, and applying 

accreditation standards for or to institutions or programs that seek review by the agency; 

(2) An institution from developing and using institutional standards to show its success with 

respect to student achievement, which achievement may be considered as part of any 

accreditation review; or 

(3) Agencies from having separate standards regarding an institution’s or a program’s process 

for approving curriculum to enable programs to more effectively meet the recommendations of-

(i) Industry advisory boards that include employers who hire program graduates; 

(ii) Widely recognized industry standards and organizations; 

(iii) Credentialing or other occupational registration or licensure; or 

(iv) Employers in a given field or occupation, in making hiring decisions. 

(4) Agencies from having separate faculty standards for instructors teaching courses within a 

dual or concurrent enrollment program, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801, or career and technical 
Page 16 of 37

education courses, as long as the instructors, in the agency’s judgment, are qualified by 

education or work experience for that role. 

In Petition File Review

• Narrative description of the agency's review of distance education, 

correspondence courses, and/or direct assessment programs, if applicable.3

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and procedures manual(s) 

related to the review of distance education, correspondence courses, and/or 

direct assessment programs, if applicable.

• A copy of a self-study from one institution or program reviewed for distance 

education, correspondence courses, and direct assessment programs, if 

applicable.

• A copy of the site visit report and decision letter from the same institution or 

program, if applicable.

• A list of institutions or programs that have been approved to offer distance 

education, correspondence courses and/or direct assessment programs during 

the recognition period, if applicable.

• A list of institutions preaccredited or accredited by the agency that, by

request of the institutions, do not have participation in title IV, HEA programs 

included in their scope of accreditation, if applicable under § 602.16(b). 

• Page numbers for the agency’s standards, policies, and procedures manual(s) 

related to either separate standards for approving curriculum or separate 

faculty standards for instructors teaching courses within a dual or concurrent 

enrollment program. Additionally, sample documentation of implementation of 

these separate standards, if applicable. 

• Narrative and documentation of the agency’s process for developing and 

implementing either separate standards for approving curriculum or separate 

faculty standards for dual or concurrent enrollment programs, if applicable. 

• A self-study from at least 

three institutions or 

programs each that offer 

distance education,

correspondence courses,

and/or direct assessment

programs, if applicable.

• A copy of the site visit 

reports and decision letters 

from the same institutions 

or programs, if applicable.

• Any correspondence 

relevant to an institution 

requesting to receive a 

scope of accreditation that 

does not include 

participation by the 

institution in title IV HEA 

programs, if applicable.

§ 602.17 Application of standards in reaching an accrediting decision.

3 Note: On August 31, 2020, the Department published notice in the Federal Register (85 FR 54148) which rescinded the 

Dear Colleague Letter “Institutional Accreditation for Distance Learning Programs” (06-17), which had been interpreted to 

mean that, if an institution does not offer more than 50 percent of an educational program via distance education, the 

institution’s accrediting agency is not required to expand its scope of recognition to include distance education. As clarified 

in our Electronic Announcement (EA) on January 19, 2021 (EA ID:OPE-21-06), agencies should be aware that, pursuant to 34 

CFR § 668.8(m), a distance education program is not eligible for Title IV participation unless the institution has been 

evaluated and accredited to offer distance education programs by a recognized accrediting agency that has distance 

education within its scope of recognition. This requirement applies to the offering of any portion of a program offered via

distance education. Once the current COVID-19 pandemic flexibilities expire, an accrediting agency will be required to have 

distance education included in its scope of recognition if it accredits an institution that offers any portion of a program via 

distance education. Accrediting agencies should work with institutions they accredit or plan to accredit to communicate the 

agency’s requirements for evaluating whether the institution is capable of effective delivery of distance education 

programs. More information is available in our January 19, 2021 EA.
Page 17 of 37

The agency must have effective mechanisms for evaluating an institution’s or program’s compliance with the 

agency’s standards before reaching a decision to accredit or preaccredit the institution or program. The agency 

meets this requirement if the agency demonstrates that it--

(a) Evaluates whether an institution or program-–

(1) Maintains clearly specified educational objectives that are consistent with its mission and 

appropriate in light of the degrees or certificates awarded; 

(2) Is successful in achieving its stated objectives at both the institutional and program levels; 

and 

(3) Maintains requirements that at least conform to commonly accepted academic standards, or 

the equivalent, including pilot programs in § 602.18(b); 

(b) Requires the institution or program to engage in a self-study process that assesses the institution's or 

program's education quality and success in meeting its mission and objectives, highlights opportunities 

for improvement, and includes a plan for making those improvements; 

(c) Conducts at least one on-site review of the institution or program during which it obtains sufficient 

information to determine if the institution or program complies with the agency's standards; 

(d) Allows the institution or program the opportunity to respond in writing to the report of the on-site 

review; 

(e) Conducts its own analysis of the self-study and supporting documentation furnished by the institution 

or program, the report of the on-site review, the institution's or program's response to the report, and 

any other information substantiated by the agency from other sources to determine whether the 

institution or program complies with the agency's standards; 

(f) Provides the institution or program with a detailed written report that assesses the institution's or 

program's compliance with the agency's standards, including areas needing improvement, and the 

institution's or program's performance with respect to student achievement; 

(g) Requires institutions to have processes in place through which the institution establishes that a 

student who registers in any course offered via distance education or correspondence is the same 

student who academically engages in the course or program; and 

(h) Makes clear in writing that institutions must use processes that protect student privacy and notify 

students of any projected additional student charges associated with the verification of student identity 

at the time of registration or enrollment. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and procedures manual(s) 

relevant to this section. 

• Requirements for the preparation of self-studies, with a focus on the criteria 

listed in 602.16(a) for institutions and/or programs. A copy of the self-study 

review, site visit report, institution/program responses, decision letter, appeals 

and appeal results (where applicable) from at least one accreditation or 

preaccreditation review, selected in advance by Department staff and based on 

the list of upcoming reviews and decisions provided to the Department at the 

beginning of the recognition review process. 

• The response, if any, provided by the institution or program to those site visit 

reports. 

• Agendas from all decision-making body meetings for the prior two years. 

• If applicable, policies and procedures related to how the agency reviews 

student identity verification for distance education and/or correspondence 

courses, and agency requirements related to student privacy protection and any 

• The site visit reports, 

responses, decision 

letters, and related 

materials associated with 

the self-studies selected 

by Department staff. 

• Documentation of 

training on self-studies 

provided to institutions 

and/or programs.

• Minutes from decisionmaking body meetings for 

the prior year for 

comprehensive 

accreditation reviews.
Page 18 of 37

In Petition File Review

additional costs to students associated with the verification of student identity 

for distance education and/or correspondence courses.

**The selection of an institution by the Department for inclusion within the 

petition is limited to those agencies that accredit institutions for Title IV 

purposes. All other agencies will choose their own example for submission.**

§ 602.18 Ensuring consistency in decision-making.

(a) The agency must consistently apply and enforce standards that respect the stated mission of the 

institution, including religious mission, and that ensure that the education or training offered by an 

institution or program, including any offered through distance education, correspondence courses, or 

direct assessment education is of sufficient quality to achieve its stated objective for the duration of any 

accreditation or preaccreditation period. 

(b) The agency meets the requirement in paragraph (a) of this section if the agency—

(1) Has written specification of the requirements for accreditation and preaccreditation that 

include clear standards for an institution or program to be accredited or preaccredited; 

(2) Has effective controls against the inconsistent application of the agency's standards; 

(3) Bases decisions regarding accreditation and preaccreditation on the agency's published 

standards and does not use as a negative factor the institution's religious mission-based policies, 

decisions, and practices in the areas covered by § 602.16(a)(1)(ii), (iii), (iv), (vi), and (vii) provided, 

however, that the agency may require that the institution's or program's curricula include all 

core components required by the agency; 

(4) Has a reasonable basis for determining that the information the agency relies on for making 

accrediting decisions is accurate; 

(5) Provides the institution or program with a detailed written report that clearly identifies any 

deficiencies in the institution's or program's compliance with the agency's standards; and 

(6) Publishes any policies for retroactive application of an accreditation decision, which must not 

provide for an effective date that predates either—

(i) An earlier denial by the agency of accreditation or preaccreditation to the institution 

or program; or 

(ii) The agency's formal approval of the institution or program for consideration in the 

agency's accreditation or preaccreditation process. 

(c) Nothing in this part prohibits an agency, when special circumstances exist, to include innovative 

program delivery approaches or, when an undue hardship on students occurs, from applying equivalent 

written standards, policies, and procedures that provide alternative means of satisfying one or more of 

the requirements set forth in 34 CFR 602.16, 602.17, 602.19, 602.20, 602.22, and 602.24, as compared 

with written standards, policies, and procedures the agency ordinarily applies, if—

(1) The alternative standards, policies, and procedures, and the selection of institutions or 

programs to which they will be applied, are approved by the agency's decision-making body and 

otherwise meet the intent of the agency's expectations and requirements; 

(2) The agency sets and applies equivalent goals and metrics for assessing the performance of 

institutions or programs; 

(3) The agency's process for establishing and applying the alternative standards, policies, and 

procedures is set forth in its published accreditation manuals; and 
Page 19 of 37

(4) The agency requires institutions or programs seeking the application of alternative standards 

to demonstrate the need for an alternative assessment approach, that students will receive 

equivalent benefit, and that students will not be harmed through such application.

(d) Nothing in this part prohibits an agency from permitting the institution or program to be out of 

compliance with one or more of its standards, policies, and procedures adopted in satisfaction of §§ 

602.16, 602.17, 602.19, 602.20, 602.22, and 602.24 for a period of time, as determined by the agency 

annually, not to exceed three years unless the agency determines there is good cause to extend the 

period of time, and if—

(1) The agency and the institution or program can show that the circumstances requiring the 

period of noncompliance are beyond the institution's or program's control, such as—

(i) A natural disaster or other catastrophic event significantly impacting an institution's 

or program's operations; 

(ii) Accepting students from another institution that is implementing a teach-out or 

closing; 

(iii) Significant and documented local or national economic changes, such as an 

economic recession or closure of a large local employer; 

(iv) Changes relating to State licensure requirements; 

(v) The normal application of the agency's standards creates an undue hardship on 

students; or 

(vi) Instructors who do not meet the agency's typical faculty standards, but who are 

otherwise qualified by education or work experience, to teach courses within a dual or 

concurrent enrollment program, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801, or career and technical 

education courses; 

(2) The grant of the period of noncompliance is approved by the agency's decision-making body; 

(3) The agency projects that the institution or program has the resources necessary to achieve 

compliance with the standard, policy, or procedure postponed within the time allotted; and 

(4) The institution or program demonstrates to the satisfaction of the agency that the period of 

noncompliance will not—

(i) Contribute to the cost of the program to the student without the student's consent; 

(ii) Create any undue hardship on, or harm to, students; or 

(iii) Compromise the program's academic quality. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and 

procedures manual(s) that are relevant to these criteria, including 

sections relevant to consistency in decision-making, retroactive 

accreditation decisions, innovative program delivery, alternative or 

equivalent standards, policies or procedures, and good cause 

extensions under this section. 

• Responses to any complaints provided by the Department 

regarding inequitable application of standards.

• An explanation for instances in which an institution or program 

may need to revise its standards or obtain permission from the 

agency’s decision-making body for one or more standards as a 

result of circumstances beyond its control, such as local or national 

unemployment rates, changes in a state’s licensure requirements, 

or the loss of a major employer in the local area, if applicable. In 

• Decision letters, meeting minutes, 

and any additional guidance 

documents or templates (if applicable) 

used to ensure consistency in decisionmaking, including guidance on distance 

education, correspondence courses 

and/or direct assessment programs, if 

applicable. 

• Meeting minutes from decisionmaking body meetings, including 

appeals body meetings and subsequent 

decisions if the appeals body is not the 

final decision-making body for appeals. 
Page 20 of 37

In Petition File Review

addition, all documentation about how such permissions will be 

communicated to current and prospective students.

• A list of institutions or programs that received permission to be 

out of compliance with standards, for a period not to exceed three 

years, during the period of recognition and the reason for 

permitting the non-compliance.

• Documentation of implementation of one good cause extension

under the regulatory requirements of this section related to specific 

exceptions noted in § 602.18(d), including relevant sample selfstudies, site visit reports, decision letters and other documentation, 

if applicable. 

• A list of institutions or programs to which retroactive 

accreditation decisions were applied during the period of 

recognition.

• One example self-study, site visit report, and/or decision letter 

where policies or procedures related to retroactive accreditation 

decisions have been applied, if applicable. 

• One example self-study, site visit report, and/or decision letter 

related to innovative program delivery and/or alternative 

standards, if applicable. 

• A list of programs or institutions that the agency has determined 

are using innovative program delivery approaches and/or that were

assessed under alternative standards, policies, and procedures, if 

applicable, during the period of recognition. 

• Complaints received from institutions 

or programs regarding inconsistent 

treatment of institutions or programs, 

if applicable.

• Additional self-studies, site visit 

reports, and/or decision letters where 

policies or procedures related to goodcause extensions under this section, 

retroactive accreditation decisions, 

determinations of innovative program 

delivery, or alternative standards have 

been applied, if applicable.

• Documentation of the 

implementation of a good cause 

extension granted to an institution or 

program under this section, and/or 

alternative standards applied to an 

institution or program, if applicable.

§ 602.19 Monitoring and reevaluation of accredited institutions and programs.

(a) The agency must reevaluate, at regularly established intervals, the institutions or programs it has 

accredited or preaccredited. 

(b) The agency must demonstrate it has, and effectively applies, monitoring and evaluation approaches 

that enable the agency to identify problems with an institution's or program's continued compliance with 

agency standards and that take into account institutional or program strengths and stability. These 

approaches must include periodic reports, and collection and analysis of key data and indicators, 

identified by the agency, including, but not limited to, fiscal information and measures of student 

achievement, consistent with the provisions of § 602.16(g). This provision does not require institutions or 

programs to provide annual reports on each specific accreditation criterion. 

(c) Each agency must monitor overall growth of the institutions or programs it accredits and, at least 

annually, collect head-count enrollment data from those institutions or programs. 

(d) Institutional accrediting agencies must monitor the growth of programs at institutions experiencing 

significant enrollment growth, as reasonably defined by the agency. 

(e) Any agency that has notified the Secretary of a change in its scope in accordance with § 602.27(a) 

must monitor the headcount enrollment of each institution it has accredited that offers distance 

education or correspondence courses. The Secretary will require a review, at the next meeting of the 

National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, of any change in scope undertaken 

by an agency if the enrollment of an institution that offers distance education or correspondence courses 

that is accredited by such agency increases by 50 percent or more within any one institutional fiscal year. 
Page 21 of 37

If any such institution has experienced an increase in head-count enrollment of 50 percent or more within 

one institutional fiscal year, the agency must report that information to the Secretary within 30 days of 

acquiring such data. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies and 

procedures manual(s) relevant to these criteria, including 

those that document the procedures for monitoring and 

reevaluation of accredited or preaccredited institutions 

and programs. 

• A description of monitoring and evaluation approaches 

that enable the agency to identify problems with an 

institution's or program's continued compliance with 

agency standards with respect to the criteria in §

602.16(a)(1), including with respect to student 

achievement.

• A copy of the agency’s annual report or other periodic 

reports and collection/analysis of key data and indicators 

identified by the agency including, but not limited to, 

fiscal information and measures of student achievement.

• A description of how the agency uses its annual report 

or other periodic reports and collection/analysis of key 

data and indicators in monitoring and evaluation.

• Copies of notifications to the Secretary for institutions 

that have experienced an increase in headcount 

enrollment of 50 percent or more within one institutional 

fiscal year, if applicable.

• A list of the institutions or programs that have met the 

agency's definition of significant growth, if applicable, and 

documentation demonstrating the agency's actions and 

response to institutions experiencing significant 

enrollment growth.

• Annual reports or other evaluation

mechanisms the agency uses to monitor 

continued compliance of its institutions and/or 

programs.

• Annual reports or other reporting mechanisms

the agency uses to monitor headcount at 

institutions and notations, if applicable, of 

institutions that have grown by 50 percent or 

more.

• Examples of the agency’s responses to 

institutions’ or programs’ annual reports or other 

monitoring or evaluation approaches.

• Meeting minutes or other documents that 

verify institution or program annual reports (or 

other monitoring) have been reviewed and 

approved, or that the agency has taken 

appropriate action to remedy deficiencies.

§ 602.20 Enforcement of standards.

(a) If the agency's review of an institution or program under any standard indicates that the institution or 

program is not in compliance with that standard, the agency must—

(1) Follow its written policy for notifying the institution or program of the finding of 

noncompliance; 

(2) Provide the institution or program with a written timeline for coming into compliance that is 

reasonable, as determined by the agency's decision-making body, based on the nature of the 

finding, the stated mission, and educational objectives of the institution or program. The timeline 

may include intermediate checkpoints on the way to full compliance and must not exceed the 

lesser of four years or 150 percent of the—

(i) Length of the program in the case of a programmatic accrediting agency; or 
Page 22 of 37

(ii) Length of the longest program at the institution in the case of an institutional 

accrediting agency; 

(3) Follow its written policies and procedures for granting a good cause extension that may 

exceed the standard timeframe described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section when such an 

extension is determined by the agency to be warranted; and 

(4) Have a written policy to evaluate and approve or disapprove monitoring or compliance 

reports it requires, provide ongoing monitoring, if warranted, and evaluate an institution's or 

program's progress in resolving the finding of noncompliance. 

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the agency must have a policy for taking an immediate 

adverse action, and take such action, when the agency has determined that such action is warranted. 

(c) If the institution or program does not bring itself into compliance within the period specified in 

paragraph (a) of this section, the agency must take adverse action against the institution or program, 

but may maintain the institution's or program's accreditation or preaccreditation until the institution or 

program has had reasonable time to complete the activities in its teach-out plan or to fulfill the 

obligations of any teach-out agreement to assist students in transferring or completing their programs. 

(d) An agency that accredits institutions may limit the adverse or other action to particular programs 

that are offered by the institution or to particular additional locations of an institution, without 

necessarily taking action against the entire institution and all of its programs, provided the 

noncompliance was limited to that particular program or location. 

(e) All adverse actions taken under this subpart are subject to the arbitration requirements in 20 U.S.C. 

1099b(e). 

(f) An agency is not responsible for enforcing requirements in 34 CFR 668.14, 668.15, 668.16, 668.41, or 

668.46, but if, in the course of an agency's work, it identifies instances or potential instances of 

noncompliance with any of these requirements, it must notify the Department. 

(g) The Secretary may not require an agency to take action against an institution or program that does 

not participate in any title IV, HEA or other Federal program as a result of a requirement specified in this 

part. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and 

procedures manual(s) relevant to enforcement of standards, to 

include timelines to return to compliance, policies on the review 

of monitoring and/or compliance reports and good cause 

extensions.

• A list of institutions or programs against which the agency has 

taken an adverse, probation, show cause, or an equivalent

action during the recognition period, if applicable, and if so, the 

length of longest program at the institution or the length of the 

program, for a programmatic agency, the action taken, the date 

the action was taken, communication with the institution or 

program, including the written timeline for coming into 

compliance, and any resolution or subsequent final action.

• Review of at least three (or fewer if the 

agency did not take action against three 

programs or institutions) examples of the 

agency’s adverse actions taken during the 

recognition period, including all relevant 

correspondence and decision letters 

leading up to the adverse action.

§ 602.21 Review of standards.
Page 23 of 37

(a) The agency must maintain a comprehensive systematic program of review that involves all relevant 

constituencies and that demonstrates that its standards are adequate to evaluate the quality of the 

education or training provided by the institutions and programs it accredits and relevant to the 

educational or training needs of students. 

(b) The agency determines the specific procedures it follows in evaluating its standards, but the agency 

must ensure that its program of review--

(1) Is comprehensive; 

(2) Occurs at regular, yet reasonable, intervals or on an ongoing basis;

(3) Examines each of the agency's standards and the standards as a whole; and

(4) Involves all of the agency's relevant constituencies in the review and affords them a 

meaningful opportunity to provide input into the review. 

(c) If the agency determines, at any point during its systematic program of review, that it needs to make 

changes to its standards, the agency must initiate action within 12 months to make the changes and 

must complete that action within a reasonable period of time. 

(d) Before finalizing any changes to its standards, the agency must—

(1) Provide notice to all of the agency's relevant constituencies, and other parties who have 

made their interest known to the agency, of the changes the agency proposes to make; 

(2) Give the constituencies and other interested parties adequate opportunity to comment on the 

proposed changes; and 

(3) Take into account and be responsive to any comments on the proposed changes submitted 

timely by the relevant constituencies and other interested parties. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers of the agency’s standards, policies and 

procedures manual(s) related to the agency’s review of 

standards.

• Redline versions of standards or other documents that 

identify the standards that have been updated since the last 

recognition review.

• Narrative description of the most recent systematic 

program of review.

• Sample of notices to relevant constituencies of review of 

standards.

• Review of comments received by relevant 

constituencies regarding comprehensive 

standards reviews or updates.

• Minutes of meetings in which new 

standards were developed, reviewed, and 

approved by the decision-making body, 

board, or other related body under the 

agency’s comprehensive standard review 

process.

§ 602.22 Substantive changes and other reporting requirements. 

(a)

(1) If the agency accredits institutions, it must maintain adequate substantive change policies 

that ensure that any substantive change, as defined in this section, after the agency has 

accredited or preaccredited the institution does not adversely affect the capacity of the 

institution to continue to meet the agency's standards. The agency meets this requirement if—

(i) The agency requires the institution to obtain the agency's approval of the substantive 

change before the agency includes the change in the scope of accreditation or 

preaccreditation it previously granted to the institution; and 

(ii) The agency's definition of substantive change covers high-impact, high-risk changes, 

including at least the following: 
Page 24 of 37

(A) Any substantial change in the established mission or objectives of the 

institution or its programs. 

(B) Any change in the legal status, form of control, or ownership of the 

institution. 

(C) The addition of programs that represent a significant departure from the 

existing offerings or educational programs, or method of delivery, from those 

that were offered or used when the agency last evaluated the institution. 

(D) The addition of graduate programs by an institution that previously offered 

only undergraduate programs or certificates. 

(E) A change in the way an institution measures student progress, including 

whether the institution measures progress in clock hours or credit-hours, 

semesters, trimesters, or quarters, or uses time-based or non-time-based 

methods. 

(F) A substantial increase in the number of clock hours or credit hours awarded, 

or an increase in the level of credential awarded, for successful completion of 

one or more programs. 

(G) The acquisition of any other institution or any program or location of another 

institution. 

(H) The addition of a permanent location at a site at which the institution is 

conducting a teach-out for students of another institution that has ceased 

operating before all students have completed their program of study.

(I) The addition of a new location or branch campus, except as provided in 

paragraph (c) of this section. The agency's review must include assessment of 

the institution's fiscal and administrative capability to operate the location or 

branch campus, the regular evaluation of locations, and verification of the 

following: 

(1) Academic control is clearly identified by the institution. 

(2) The institution has adequate faculty, facilities, resources, and 

academic and student support systems in place. 

(3) The institution is financially stable. 

(4) The institution had engaged in long-range planning for expansion. 

(J) Entering into a written arrangement under 34 CFR 668.5 under which an 

institution or organization not certified to participate in the title IV, HEA 

programs offers more than 25 and but less than 50 percent of one or more of the 

accredited institution's educational programs. 

(K) Addition of each direct assessment program. 

(2)

(i) For substantive changes under only paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(C), (E), (F), (H), or (J) of this 

section, the agency's decision-making body may designate agency senior staff to 

approve or disapprove the request in a timely, fair, and equitable manner; and 

(ii) In the case of a request under paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(J) of this section, the agency must 

make a final decision within 90 days of receipt of a materially complete request, unless 

the agency or its staff determine significant circumstances related to the substantive 

change require a review by the agency's decision-making body to occur within 180 days. 

(b) Institutions that have been placed on probation or equivalent status, have been subject to negative 

action by the agency over the prior three academic years, or are under a provisional certification, as 

provided in 34 CFR 668.13, must receive prior approval for the following additional changes (all other 

institutions must report these changes within 30 days to their accrediting agency): 
Page 25 of 37

(1) A change in an existing program's method of delivery. 

(2) An aggregate change of 25 percent or more of the clock hours, credit hours, or content of a 

program since the agency's most recent accreditation review. 

(3) The development of customized pathways or abbreviated or modified courses or programs 

to—

(i) Accommodate and recognize a student's existing knowledge, such as knowledge 

attained through employment or military service; and 

(ii) Close competency gaps between demonstrated prior knowledge or competency and 

the full requirements of a particular course or program. 

(4) Entering into a written arrangement under 34 CFR 668.5 under which an institution or 

organization not certified to participate in the title IV, HEA programs offers up to 25 percent of 

one or more of the accredited institution's educational programs. 

(c) Institutions that have successfully completed at least one cycle of accreditation and have received 

agency approval for the addition of at least two additional locations as provided in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(I) 

of this section, and that have not been placed on probation or equivalent status or been subject to a 

negative action by the agency over the prior three academic years, and that are not under a provisional 

certification, as provided in 34 CFR 668.13, need not apply for agency approval of subsequent additions 

of locations, and must report these changes to the accrediting agency within 30 days, if the institution 

has met criteria established by the agency indicating sufficient capacity to add additional locations 

without individual prior approvals, including, at a minimum, satisfactory evidence of a system to ensure 

quality across a distributed enterprise that includes—

(1) Clearly identified academic control; 

(2) Regular evaluation of the locations; 

(3) Adequate faculty, facilities, resources, and academic and student support systems; 

(4) Financial stability; and 

(5) Long-range planning for expansion. 

(d) The agency must have an effective mechanism for conducting, at reasonable intervals, visits to a 

representative sample of additional locations approved under paragraphs (a)(1)(ii)(H) and (I) of this 

section. 

(e) The agency may determine the procedures it uses to grant prior approval of the substantive change. 

However, these procedures must specify an effective date, on which the change is included in the 

program's or institution's grant of accreditation or preaccreditation. The date of prior approval must not 

pre-date either an earlier agency denial of the substantive change, or the agency's formal acceptance of 

the application for the substantive change for inclusion in the program's or institution's grant of 

accreditation or preaccreditation. An agency may designate the date of a change in ownership as the 

effective date of its approval of that substantive change if the accreditation decision is made within 30 

days of the change in ownership. Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (f) of this section, an agency 

may require a visit before granting such an approval. 

(f) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, if the agency's accreditation of an institution 

enables the institution to seek eligibility to participate in title IV, HEA programs, the agency's procedures 

for the approval of an additional location that is not a branch campus where at least 

50 percent of an educational program is offered must include—

(1) A visit, within six months, to each additional location the institution establishes, if the 

institution—

(i) Has a total of three or fewer additional locations; 

(ii) Has not demonstrated, to the agency's satisfaction, that the additional location is 

meeting all of the agency's standards that apply to that additional location; or 
Page 26 of 37

(iii) Has been placed on warning, probation, or show cause by the agency or is subject to 

some limitation by the agency on its accreditation or preaccreditation status; 

(2) A mechanism for conducting, at reasonable intervals, visits to a representative sample of 

additional locations of institutions that operate more than three additional locations; and 

(3) A mechanism, which may, at the agency's discretion, include visits to additional locations, for 

ensuring that accredited and preaccredited institutions that experience rapid growth in the 

number of additional locations maintain education quality. 

(g) The purpose of the visits described in paragraph (f) of this section is to verify that the additional 

location has the personnel, facilities, and resources the institution claimed it had in its application to the 

agency for approval of the additional location. 

(h) The agency's substantive change policy must define when the changes made or proposed by an 

institution are or would be sufficiently extensive to require the agency to conduct a new comprehensive 

evaluation of that institution. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers of the agency‘s standards, policies, 

and procedures manual(s) that describe the agency’s 

substantive change policies and procedures, to 

include policies related to all types of substantive 

change described in this section, decisions made by 

senior staff, retroactive approval of changes, and 

when a determination is made by an agency that 

substantive changes required a comprehensive 

accreditation review.

• A copy of a substantive change review (application, 

correspondence, and decision letter) for each type of 

substantive change request made during the current 

recognition period.

• A list of substantive change requests made by 

institutions, the status of those requests during the 

current recognition period, and whether each was 

subject to notification.

• A list of additional locations that have been opened 

during the current review period, if applicable, and 

whether each was subject to prior approval.

• The agency’s policy for conducting site visits at a 

reasonable interval to a representative sample of 

additional locations and a record of all site visits

conducted of additional locations.

• The agency’s policy on how it defines whether an 

additional location offers 50 percent of an 

educational program

• The agency’s policy on how it determines that a 

written arrangement does not exceed 50 percent of 

an educational program.

• A copy of a substantive change request from one 

institution or program reviewed for distance 

• Review of files for institutions that have requested 

substantive changes and the type of change 

requested.

• Records of site visits for additional locations, 

including decisions made by the agency.

• Documentation of review of the percent of each 

educational program offered at the additional 

location.

• Records of the review of written arrangements, 

including the determination of the amount of an 

educational program provided.

• Minutes from meetings of the agency’s decisionmaking bodies in which substantive changes were 

reviewed and approved/denied.

•Documentation of the approval or denial of 

substantive changes by senior staff.

• Records of site visits of additional locations among 

institutions that operate more than three additional 

locations, if applicable.

• Review of change of control requests and 

subsequent decisions and any related follow up 

reviews.
Page 27 of 37

In Petition File Review

education, correspondence courses, or direct 

assessment program, the corresponding site visit 

report, and decision letter, if applicable.

§ 602.23 Operating procedures all agencies must have.

(a) The agency must maintain and make available to the public written materials describing--

(1) Each type of accreditation and preaccreditation it grants;

(2) The procedures that institutions or programs must follow in applying for accreditation, 

preaccreditation, or substantive changes and the sequencing of those steps relative to any 

applications or decisions required by States or the Department relative to the agency's 

preaccreditation, accreditation, or substantive change decisions;

(3) The standards and procedures it uses to determine whether to grant, reaffirm, reinstate, 

restrict, deny, revoke, terminate, or take any other action related to each type of accreditation 

and preaccreditation that the agency grants;

(4) The institutions and programs that the agency currently accredits or preaccredits and, for 

each institution and program, the year the agency will next review or reconsider it for 

accreditation or preaccreditation; and

(5) A list of the names, academic and professional qualifications, and relevant employment and 

organizational affiliations of—

(i) The members of the agency's policy and decision-making bodies; and

(ii) The agency's principal administrative staff.

(b) In providing public notice that an institution or program subject to its jurisdiction is being considered 

for accreditation or preaccreditation, the agency must provide an opportunity for third-party comment 

concerning the institution's or program's qualifications for accreditation or preaccreditation. At the 

agency's discretion, third-party comment may be received either in writing or at a public hearing, or 

both. 

(c) The accrediting agency must--

(1) Review in a timely, fair, and equitable manner any complaint it receives against an accredited 

institution or program that is related to the agency's standards or procedures. The agency may 

not complete its review and make a decision regarding a complaint unless, in accordance with 

published procedures, it ensures that the institution or program has sufficient opportunity to 

provide a response to the complaint;

(2) Take follow-up action, as necessary, including enforcement action, if necessary, based on the 

results of its review; and

(3) Review in a timely, fair, and equitable manner, and apply unbiased judgment to, any 

complaints against itself and take follow-up action, as appropriate, based on the results of its 

review.

(d) If an institution or program elects to make a public disclosure of its accreditation or preaccreditation 

status, the agency must ensure that the institution or program discloses that status accurately, including 

the specific academic or instructional programs covered by that status and the name and contact 

information for the agency. 

(e) The accrediting agency must provide for the public correction of incorrect or misleading information 

an accredited or preaccredited institution or program releases about--

(1) The accreditation or preaccreditation status of the institution or program;
Page 28 of 37

(2) The contents of reports of on-site reviews; and

(3) The agency's accrediting or preaccrediting actions with respect to the institution or program.

(f)

(1) If preaccreditation is offered—

(i) The agency's preaccreditation policies must limit the status to institutions or 

programs that the agency has determined are likely to succeed in obtaining 

accreditation; 

(ii) The agency must require all preaccredited institutions to have a teach-out plan, 

which must ensure students completing the teach-out would meet curricular 

requirements for professional licensure or certification, if any, and which must include a 

list of academic programs offered by the institution and the names of other institutions 

that offer similar programs and that could potentially enter into a teach-out agreement 

with the institution; 

(iii) An agency that denies accreditation to an institution it has preaccredited may 

maintain the institution's preaccreditation for currently enrolled students until the 

institution has had a reasonable time to complete the activities in its teach-out plan to 

assist students in transferring or completing their programs, but for no more than 120 

days unless approved by the agency for good cause; and 

(iv) The agency may not move an accredited institution or program from accredited to 

preaccredited status unless, following the loss of accreditation, the institution or 

program applies for initial accreditation and is awarded preaccreditation status under 

the new application. Institutions that participated in the title IV, HEA programs before 

the loss of accreditation are subject to the requirements of 34 CFR 600.11(c). 

(2) All credits and degrees earned and issued by an institution or program holding 

preaccreditation from a nationally recognized agency are considered by the Secretary to be from 

an accredited institution or program.

(g) The agency may establish any additional operating procedures it deems appropriate. At the agency's 

discretion, these may include unannounced inspections. 

In Petition File Review

• The website link and pages of the agency’s website (or other 

forum) where public materials are posted, including the list of 

accredited programs or institutions, and the information listed in 

this section.

• Page numbers within the agency‘s standards, policies, and 

procedures manual(s) that describe the agency’s polices related to 

the requirement of this section, including those related to: 

complaints received against its institutions/programs, complaints

against itself; public disclosure of accreditation status, public 

correction of misleading information, and preaccreditation.

• Documentation of an example of a third-party comment 

received/reviewed by the agency; a complaint received against an 

institution or program; a complaint received against the agency, 

and preaccreditation activities, as applicable.

• If applicable, additional examples of 

third-party comments received and 

reviewed by the agency.

• Documentation of the review, 

decision, and, if applicable, action 

taken on any complaints received 

during the agency's period of 

recognition for institutions/programs 

or against itself.

• If applicable, documentation of 

implementation of its preaccreditation 

standards, policies, and procedures.
Page 29 of 37

§ 602.24 Additional procedures certain institutional agencies must have. 

If the agency is an institutional accrediting agency and its accreditation or preaccreditation enables those 

institutions to obtain eligibility to participate in title IV, HEA programs, the agency must demonstrate that it has 

established and uses all of the following procedures: 

(a) Branch campus. The agency must require the institution to notify the agency if it plans to establish a 

branch campus and to submit a business plan for the branch campus that describes—

(1) The educational program to be offered at the branch campus; and 

(2) The projected revenues and expenditures and cash flow at the branch campus. 

(b) Site visits. The agency must undertake a site visit to a new branch campus or following a change of 

ownership or control as soon as practicable, but no later than six months, after the establishment of that 

campus or the change of ownership or control. 

(c) Teach-out plans and agreements. 

(1) The agency must require an institution it accredits to submit a teach-out plan as defined in 34 

CFR 600.2 to the agency for approval upon the occurrence of any of the following events: 

(i) For a nonprofit or proprietary institution, the Secretary notifies the agency of a 

determination by the institution's independent auditor expressing doubt about the 

institution's ability to operate as a going concern or indicating an adverse opinion or a 

finding of material weakness related to financial stability. 

(ii) The agency acts to place the institution on probation or equivalent status. 

(iii) The Secretary notifies the agency that the institution is participating in title IV, HEA 

programs under a provisional program participation agreement and the Secretary has 

required a teach-out plan as a condition of participation. 

(2) The agency must require an institution it accredits or preaccredits to submit a teach-out plan 

and, if practicable, teach-out agreements (as defined in 34 CFR 600.2) to the agency for approval 

upon the occurrence of any of the following events: 

(i) The Secretary notifies the agency that it has placed the institution on the 

reimbursement payment method under 34 CFR 668.162(c) or the heightened cash 

monitoring payment method requiring the Secretary's review of the institution's 

supporting documentation under 34 CFR 668.162(d)(2). 

(ii) The Secretary notifies the agency that the Secretary has initiated an emergency 

action against an institution, in accordance with section 487(c)(1)(G) of the HEA, or an 

action to limit, suspend, or terminate an institution participating in any title IV, HEA 

program, in accordance with section 487(c)(1)(F) of the HEA. 

(iii) The agency acts to withdraw, terminate, or suspend the accreditation or 

preaccreditation of the institution. 

(iv) The institution notifies the agency that it intends to cease operations entirely or 

close a location that provides one hundred percent of at least one program, including if 

the location is being moved and is considered by the Secretary to be a closed school. 

(v) A State licensing or authorizing agency notifies the agency that an institution's 

license or legal authorization to provide an educational program has been or will be 

revoked. 

(3) The agency must evaluate the teach-out plan to ensure it includes a list of currently enrolled 

students, academic programs offered by the institution, and the names of other institutions that 

offer similar programs and that could potentially enter into a teach-out agreement with the 

institution. 
Page 30 of 37

(4) If the agency approves a teach-out plan that includes a program or institution that is 

accredited by another recognized accrediting agency, it must notify that accrediting agency of its 

approval. 

(5) The agency may require an institution it accredits or preaccredits to enter into a teach-out 

agreement as part of its teach-out plan. 

(6) The agency must require a closing institution to include in its teach-out agreement—

(i) A complete list of students currently enrolled in each program at the institution and 

the program requirements each student has completed; 

(ii) A plan to provide all potentially eligible students with information about how to 

obtain a closed school discharge and, if applicable, information on State refund policies; 

(iii) A record retention plan to be provided to all enrolled students that delineates the 

final disposition of teach-out records (e.g., student transcripts, billing, financial aid 

records); 

(iv) Information on the number and types of credits the teach-out institution is willing to 

accept prior to the student's enrollment; and 

(v) A clear statement to students of the tuition and fees of the educational program and 

the number and types of credits that will be accepted by the teach-out institution. 

(7) The agency must require an institution it accredits or preaccredits that enters into a teach-out 

agreement, either on its own or at the request of the agency, to submit that teachout agreement 

for approval. The agency may approve the teachout agreement only if the agreement meets the 

requirements of 34 CFR 600.2 and this section, is consistent with applicable standards and 

regulations, and provides for the equitable treatment of students being served by ensuring that 

the teachout institution—

(i) Has the necessary experience, resources, and support services to provide an 

educational program that is of acceptable quality and reasonably similar in content, 

delivery modality, and scheduling to that provided by the institution that is ceasing 

operations either entirely or at one of its locations; however, while an option via an 

alternate method of delivery may be made available to students, such an option is not 

sufficient unless an option via the same method of delivery as the original educational 

program is also provided; 

(ii) Has the capacity to carry out its mission and meet all obligations to existing 

students; and 

(iii) Demonstrates that it—

(A) Can provide students access to the program and services without requiring 

them to move or travel for substantial distances or durations; and 

(B) Will provide students with information about additional charges, if any. 

(8) Irrespective of any teach-out plan or signed teach-out agreement, the agency must not 

permit an institution to serve as a teach-out institution under the following conditions: 

(i) The institution is subject to the conditions in paragraph (c)(1) or (2) of this section. 

(ii) The institution is under investigation, subject to an action, or being prosecuted for an 

issue related to academic quality, misrepresentation, fraud, or other severe matters by a 

law enforcement agency. 

(9) The agency is permitted to waive requirements regarding the percentage of credits that must 

be earned by a student at the institution awarding the educational credential if the student is 

completing his or her program through a written teach-out agreement or transfer. 

(10) The agency must require the institution to provide copies of all notifications from the 

institution related to the institution's closure or to teach-out options to ensure the information 

accurately represents students' ability to transfer credits and may require corrections. 
Page 31 of 37

(d) Closed institution. If an institution the agency accredits or preaccredits closes without a teach-out 

plan or agreement, the agency must work with the Department and the appropriate State agency, to the 

extent feasible, to assist students in finding reasonable opportunities to complete their education 

without additional charges. 

(e) Transfer of credit policies. The accrediting agency must confirm, as part of its review for initial 

accreditation or preaccreditation, or renewal of accreditation, that the institution has transfer of credit 

policies that—

(1) Are publicly disclosed in accordance with § 668.43(a)(11); and 

(2) Include a statement of the criteria established by the institution regarding the transfer of 

credit earned at another institution of higher education.

(f) Agency designations. In its accrediting practice, the agency must—

(1) Adopt and apply the definitions of “branch campus” and “additional location” in 34 CFR

600.2; 

(2) On the Secretary's request, conform its designations of an institution's branch campuses and 

additional locations with the Secretary's if it learns its designations diverge; and 

(3) Ensure that it does not accredit or preaccredit an institution comprising fewer than all of the 

programs, branch campuses, and locations of an institution as certified for title IV participation 

by the Secretary, except with notice to and permission from the Secretary. 

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency‘s standards, policies, and procedures 

manual(s) related to the requirements of this section, including those 

related to teach-out plans, branch campuses (as defined by the 

Department in § 600.2), and transfer of credit policies.

• One example of an application for, approval of, and site visit report 

for a branch campus during the recognition period, if applicable.

• One example of the application, approval of, and site visit report for 

a change of ownership, if applicable.

• One example demonstrating review of a teach-out plan and of a 

teach-out agreement during the recognition period, if applicable, to 

include the submitted version and the approved version.

• One example of notification to a recognized agency of the approval 

of a teach-out plan or teach-out agreement, if applicable.

• Documentation of the agency’s published definitions of “additional 

location” and “branch campus.”

• One example of the review of transfer of credit policies during the 

recognition period.

• A copy of the agency’s notice to the Secretary and the Secretary’s 

permission, if the agency has accredited or preaccredited an institution 

comprising fewer than all of the programs, branch campuses, and 

locations of an institution as certified for title IV participation by the 

Secretary.

• A list of institutions required to submit a teach-out plan and/or 

teach-out agreement during the recognition period, whether a plan or 

agreement was required, when the plan or agreement was submitted, 

and if applicable, a date of closure for the institution.

• Additional examples of branch 

campus applications, approvals, and 

site visits, if applicable.

• Additional examples of change of 

ownership applications, approvals,

and site visits, if applicable.

• Additional examples of teach-out 

plans, during the recognition period, 

if applicable.

• Additional examples of 

notification to recognized agencies 

during the recognition period, if 

applicable.

• Additional examples of teach-out 

agreements, during the recognition 

period, if applicable.

• Three examples of the review of 

transfer of credit policies during the 

recognition period.
Page 32 of 37

§ 602.25 Due process.

The agency must demonstrate that the procedures it uses throughout the accrediting process satisfy due process. 

The agency meets this requirement if the agency does the following:

(a) Provides adequate written specification of its requirements, including clear standards, for an 

institution or program to be accredited or preaccredited.

(b) Uses procedures that afford an institution or program a reasonable period of time to comply with the 

agency's requests for information and documents. 

(c) Provides written specification of any deficiencies identified at the institution or program examined.

(d) Provides sufficient opportunity for a written response by an institution or program regarding any 

deficiencies identified by the agency, to be considered by the agency within a time frame determined by 

the agency, and before any adverse action is taken.

(e) Notifies the institution or program in writing of any adverse accrediting action or an action to place 

the institution or program on probation or show cause. The notice describes the basis for the action. 

(f) Provides an opportunity, upon written request of an institution or program, for the institution or 

program to appeal any adverse action prior to the action becoming final.

(1) The appeal must take place at a hearing before an appeals panel that--

(i) May not include current members of the agency's decision-making body that took the 

initial adverse action;

(ii) Is subject to a conflict of interest policy;

(iii) Does not serve only an advisory or procedural role, and has and uses the authority to 

make the following decisions: To affirm, amend, or remand adverse actions of the 

original decision-making body; and

(iv) Affirms, amends, or remands the adverse action. A decision to affirm or amend the 

adverse action is implemented by the appeals panel or by the original decision-making 

body, at the agency's option; however, in the event of a decision by the appeals panel to 

remand the adverse action to the original decision-making body for further 

consideration, the appeals panel must explain the basis for a decision that differs from 

that of the original decision-making body and the original decision-making body in a 

remand must act in a manner consistent with the appeals panel's decisions or 

instructions.

(2) The agency must recognize the right of the institution or program to employ counsel to 

represent the institution or program during its appeal, including to make any presentation that 

the agency permits the institution or program to make on its own during the appeal.

(g) The agency notifies the institution or program in writing of the result of its appeal and the basis for 

that result.

(h)

(1) The agency must provide for a process, in accordance with written procedures, through 

which an institution or program may, before the agency reaches a final adverse action decision, 

seek review of new financial information if all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The financial information was unavailable to the institution or program until after the 

decision subject to appeal was made.

(ii) The financial information is significant and bears materially on the financial 

deficiencies identified by the agency. The criteria of significance and materiality are 

determined by the agency.
Page 33 of 37

(iii) The only remaining deficiency cited by the agency in support of a final adverse 

action decision is the institution's or program's failure to meet an agency standard 

pertaining to finances.

(2) An institution or program may seek the review of new financial information described in 

paragraph (h)(1) of this section only once and any determination by the agency made with 

respect to that review does not provide a basis for an appeal.

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers of the agency’s standards, policies 

and procedures manual(s) related to due process.

• An example of the notice required by paragraph (c). 

• An example of a written response described in 

paragraph (d).

• An example of a notice described in paragraph (e).

• An example of an appeal, to include the 

composition of the panel, the panel decision, written 

notification of decision, and any subsequent 

decisions made in response to the appeal panel 

decision, if applicable.

• Examples of any additional appeals, to include the 

appeal panel composition, and decisions during the 

recognition period, if applicable. 

• Examples of any reviews of new financial 

information prior to a final adverse action, if 

applicable, as documented by the minutes of 

decision-making bodies or appeal bodies. 

• A review of any complaints against the agency 

regarding due process violations, including any suits 

filed against the agency or any instances of 

arbitration to resolve such complaints, and the 

resolution to those complaints. 

§ 602.26 Notification of accrediting decisions.

The agency must demonstrate that it has established and follows written procedures requiring it to provide 

written notice of its accrediting decisions to the Secretary, the appropriate State licensing or authorizing agency, 

the appropriate accrediting agencies, and the public. The agency meets this requirement if the agency, following 

its written procedures--

(a) Provides written notice of the following types of decisions to the Secretary, the appropriate State 

licensing or authorizing agency, the appropriate accrediting agencies, and the public no later than 30 

days after it makes the decision:

(1) A decision to award initial accreditation or preaccreditation to an institution or program.

(2) A decision to renew an institution's or program's accreditation or preaccreditation; 

(b) Provides written notice of a final decision of a probation or equivalent status or an initiated adverse 

action to the Secretary, the appropriate State licensing or authorizing agency, and the appropriate 

accrediting agencies at the same time it notifies the institution or program of the decision and requires 

the institution or program to disclose such an action within seven business days of receipt to all current 

and prospective students; 

(c) Provides written notice of the following types of decisions to the Secretary, the appropriate State 

licensing or authorizing agency, and the appropriate accrediting agencies at the same time it notifies the 

institution or program of the decision, but no later than 30 days after it reaches the decision: 

(1) A final decision to deny, withdraw, suspend, revoke, or terminate the accreditation or 

preaccreditation of an institution or program. 

(2) A final decision to take any other adverse action, as defined by the agency, not listed in 

paragraph (c)(1) of this section; 

(d) Provides written notice to the public of the decisions listed in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section 

within one business day of its notice to the institution or program; 
Page 34 of 37

(e) For any decision listed in paragraph (c) of this section, requires the institution or program to disclose 

the decision to current and prospective students within seven business days of receipt and makes 

available to the Secretary, the appropriate State licensing or authorizing agency, and the public, no later 

than 60 days after the decision, a brief statement summarizing the reasons for the agency's decision and 

the official comments that the affected institution or program may wish to make with regard to that 

decision, or evidence that the affected institution has been offered the opportunity to provide official 

comment; 

(f) Notifies the Secretary, the appropriate State licensing or authorizing agency, the appropriate 

accrediting agencies, and, upon request, the public if an accredited or preaccredited institution or 

program—

(1) Decides to withdraw voluntarily from accreditation or preaccreditation, within 10 business 

days of receiving notification from the institution or program that it is withdrawing voluntarily 

from accreditation or preaccreditation; or 

(2) Lets its accreditation or preaccreditation lapse, within 10 business days of the date on which 

accreditation or preaccreditation lapses.

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers for the agency’s 

standards, policies, and procedures 

manual(s) related to the notification of 

accreditation decisions.

• Documentation to demonstrate the 

agency has submitted the required 

accreditation decisions to the 

Department via the Database of 

Accredited Postsecondary Institutions 

and Programs (DAPIP) for the prior year.

• Links to all locations where the agency 

provides written notification to the public 

of any action or final decision taken

against an institution or program.

• For each institution or program against 

which the agency has taken probation, 

show cause or an equivalent, or an 

adverse action during the recognition 

period, include a list of all actions the 

agency has taken for the institution or 

program in the previous five years (to 

including warnings, monitoring 

requirements, or other actions).

• Examples of written notices (letter, screenshot of website, etc.) 

of awarding initial or the renewal of accreditation to the required 

entities no later than 30 days after making the decision. 

• Examples of written notice (letter, screenshot of website, etc.) 

of a final decision of probation or equivalent status or an initiated 

adverse action to the required entities at the same time as the 

institution/program to include notice to the public within one 

business day.

• Examples of written notice (letter, screenshot of a website, etc.) 

of a final decision of probation or equivalent status, an initiated 

adverse action, or a final adverse action to current and 

prospective students within seven business days.

• Examples of written notice (letter, screenshot of website, etc.) 

of a final adverse action to the required entities at the same time 

as the institution/program but no later than 30 days after making 

the decision, to include notice to the public within one business 

day.

• Examples of the agency's adverse action summary and 

institution/program comments (or documentation of response 

opportunity) to the required entities within 60 days after the 

decision, if applicable. 

• Examples of written notice of the voluntary withdrawal of an 

institution/program to the required entities within 10 days of 

receipt of notification, if applicable. 

• An example of written notice of accreditation lapse to the 

required entities within 10 days of the lapse, if applicable. 
Page 35 of 37

§ 602.27 Other information an agency must provide the Department.

(a) The agency must submit to the Department—

(1) A list, updated annually, of its accredited and preaccredited institutions and programs, which 

may be provided electronically; 

(2) A summary of the agency's major accrediting activities during the previous year (an annual 

data summary), if requested by the Secretary to carry out the Secretary's responsibilities related 

to this part; 

(3) Any proposed change in the agency's policies, procedures, or accreditation or 

preaccreditation standards that might alter its—

(i) Scope of recognition, except as provided in paragraph (a)(4) of this section; or 

(ii) Compliance with the criteria for recognition; 

(4) Notification that the agency has expanded its scope of recognition to include distance 

education or correspondence courses as provided in section 496(a)(4)(B)(i)(I) of the HEA. Such an 

expansion of scope is effective on the date the Department receives the notification; 

(5) The name of any institution or program it accredits that the agency has reason to believe is 

failing to meet its title IV, HEA program responsibilities or is engaged in fraud or abuse, along 

with the agency's reasons for concern about the institution or program; and 

(6) If the Secretary requests, information that may bear upon an accredited or preaccredited 

institution's compliance with its title IV, HEA program responsibilities, including the eligibility of 

the institution or program to participate in title IV, HEA programs. 

(b) If an agency has a policy regarding notification to an institution or program of contact with the 

Department in accordance with paragraph (a)(5) or (6) of this section, it must provide for a case-by-case 

review of the circumstances surrounding the contact, and the need for the confidentiality of that contact. 

When the Department determines a compelling need for confidentiality, the agency must consider that 

contact confidential upon specific request of the Department.

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers of the agency‘s standards, policies, 

and procedures manual(s) related to this section. 

• Documentation to demonstrate the agency has 

submitted the required information to the 

Department via the Database of Accredited 

Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP)

during the recognition period.

• A report under § 602.27(a)(4), if applicable. 

• An example of a response under § 602.27(a)(5), if 

applicable.

• An example of the review required in § 602.27(b), if 

applicable.

• Additional examples related to compliance with § 

602.27(a)(4) & (5), if applicable.

• Additional examples of the review required in § 

602.27(b), if applicable. 

§ 602.28 Regard for decisions of States and other accrediting agencies.

(a) If the agency is an institutional accrediting agency, it may not accredit or preaccredit institutions that 

lack legal authorization under applicable State law to provide a program of education beyond the 

secondary level. 
Page 36 of 37

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the agency may not grant initial or renewed 

accreditation or preaccreditation to an institution, or a program offered by an institution, if the agency 

knows, or has reasonable cause to know, that the institution is the subject of--

(1) A pending or final action brought by a State agency to suspend, revoke, withdraw, or 

terminate the institution's legal authority to provide postsecondary education in the State;

(2) A decision by a recognized agency to deny accreditation or preaccreditation;

(3) A pending or final action brought by a recognized accrediting agency to suspend, revoke, 

withdraw, or terminate the institution's accreditation or preaccreditation; or

(4) Probation or an equivalent status imposed by a recognized agency.

(c) The agency may grant accreditation or preaccreditation to an institution or program described in 

paragraph (b) of this section only if it provides to the Secretary, within 30 days of its action, a thorough 

and reasonable explanation, consistent with its standards, why the action of the other body does not 

preclude the agency's grant of accreditation or preaccreditation.

(d) If the agency learns that an institution it accredits or preaccredits, or an institution that offers a 

program it accredits or preaccredits, is the subject of an adverse action by another recognized 

accrediting agency or has been placed on probation or an equivalent status by another recognized 

agency, the agency must promptly review its accreditation or preaccreditation of the institution or 

program to determine if it should also take adverse action or place the institution or program on 

probation or show cause.

(e) The agency must, upon request, share with other appropriate recognized accrediting agencies and 

recognized State approval agencies information about the accreditation or preaccreditation status of an 

institution or program and any adverse actions it has taken against an accredited or preaccredited 

institution or program.

In Petition File Review

• Page numbers of the 

agency’s accreditation 

standards, policies, or 

procedures manual(s) 

related to the requirements 

of this section.

• A list of institutions or 

programs for which the 

agency received 

information about an action 

by a State or another 

accrediting agency as 

described in § 602.28(b), 

along with the dates of 

subsequent review and 

action taken by the agency, 

if applicable.

• Review of files to verify the agency’s record of State authorization as 

required by the Department and the State. 

• Example of an action an agency took in the event that an institution was not 

in compliance with State requirements, if applicable. 

• Examples of any correspondence to the Secretary providing a thorough and 

reasonable explanation, consistent with its standards, for granting 

accreditation in the event of a situation described in § 602.28(c), if applicable. 

• Examples of a review conducted by the agency in the event that another 

recognized accrediting agency took adverse action or placed an institution or 

program on show cause or probation, or of instances in which, on request, the 

agency shared information with other agencies about an institution or program 

it has taken action against. 

• Examples of agency inquiries during the accreditation or preaccreditation 

process as to actions taken with respect to the institution or program by States 

and other recognized accrediting agencies. 
Page 37 of 37

Appendix: Required responses by agency type for 34 CFR §§ 602.10-602.28 

The Secretary’s Criteria

A B C

IF THE AGENCY ACCREDITS...* Institutions

For TIV purposes

Institutions & 

Programs

For non-TIV 

Purposes

Programs only

For non-TIV 

Purposes

§602.10-602.14(a) – Eligibility & Category of the 

Agency

X X X

§602.14(b-e) – Separate and Independent/Joint Use X N/A N/A

§602.15(a)(1-2) – Staffing/Representatives X X X

§602.15(a)(3) – Academic and Admin Personnel X X N/A

§602.15(a)(4) – Educators/Practitioners/Employers N/A** X X

§602.15(a)(5)-602.15(b) – Administration X X X

602.16(a)(1)(1-vii)(a)(6) – Required Standards X X X

§602.16(a)(1)(viii) – Program Length X N/A N/A

§602.16(a)(1)(ix) – Student Complaints X X X

§602.16(a)(1)(x) – TIV Responsibilities X N/A N/A

§602.16(a)(2) – Preaccreditation, if applicable X X X

§602.16(b-c) – Institutions Not Participating in TIV X N/A N/A

§602.16(d)-602.16(g) – Distance/Correspondence 

and Separate Standards, if applicable

X X X

602.17(a)-(f) – Application of Standards X X X

§602.17(g) – Distance/Correspondence, if 

applicable

X X N/A

§602.17(h) – Student Privacy and Verification X X N/A

§602.18 – Consistent Decision-making X X X

§602.19(a)-(c) – Monitoring and reevaluation X X X

§602.19(d-e) – Significant Growth & Headcount X X N/A

§602.20 (a-d) – Enforcement X X X

§602.20(e-g) – Enforcement X X – Institutions 

Only

N/A

§602.21 – Review of Standards X X X

§602.22(a-e) – Substantive Change X X – Institutions 

Only

N/A

§602.22(f-g) – Approval of Additional Locations X N/A N/A

§602.22(h) – New Evaluation X X – Institutions 

Only

N/A

§602.23 – Operating procedures X X X

§602.24 – Institutional Accrediting Procedures X N/A N/A

§602.25 – Due Process X X X

§602.26 – Notification of Accrediting Decisions X X X

§602.27(a)(1-4) – Other Information Provided X X X

§602.27(a)(5-6) – Fraud and Abuse X N/A N/A

§602.28(a) – Legal Authorization X X N/A

§602.28(b-e) – Regard for Decisions of Others X X X

*An agency that accredits at least one institution 

for Title IV purposes must use the column A labeled 

“Institutions – for TIV purposes.”

**An agency that accredits single purpose institutions must 

address 602.15(a)(4).