Accreditation

Accreditation for Institutions of Higher Education in the U.S.

According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, an institution of higher education must be accredited by a “nationally recognized” accreditor in order for students to receive federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education for postsecondary study. These institutional accreditors are private educational associations of regional or national scope that have adopted criteria intended to reflect the qualities of a sound educational program. They regularly monitor institutional activities and conduct extensive peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met.