What if my school loses accreditation

After all, as long as you learn the material, you should be able to walk away with a degree that means something, right? Not necessarily. While some unaccredited programs might offer valuable learning experiences, not all educational offerings are created equal. Attending an unaccredited program can mean that you will not be eligible for federal financial aid, you will not be able to transfer credits to another school, and you will not be able to obtain appropriate professional licensure in your field.

Accreditation can make the difference between embarking on an exciting career path, or being saddled with debt and worthless credits. Accreditation is a voluntary evaluation process that institutions of higher education undergo in order to maintain standards of educational quality agreed upon by members of an accrediting body. Accreditation assessments may include self-study on the part of the institution as well as evaluations by representatives of peer institutions who belong to the same accrediting agency.

There are numerous accrediting agencies in the United States. The most widely recognized accrediting agencies for colleges and universities are:. Accreditation by these agencies and some other similar agencies is known as institutional accreditation.

In addition, some careers may require that students attend programs with specialized accreditation. Specialized accreditation typically applies to certain vocations such as law or nursing. In this case, the accrediting agency is a professional organization that evaluates the effectiveness of a program in terms of how well it prepares students to meet certain professional standards.

Students should determine if their career path requires that their program of choice be accredited by one of these specialized agencies before committing to a program. Department of Education does not accredit colleges and universities itself, but it does maintain a database of accredited schools and recognized accrediting agencies. This is an excellent place for students to start looking for information about school and program accreditation.

The CHEA also does not accredit institutions itself, but it has information about accrediting agencies. An accredited degree can make a huge difference in your future career; doing a little research now can save time and trouble in the future. Imagine five students, with rosy future careers as a lawyer, librarian, dentist, nurse, and psychologist lying ahead of them.

Although their interests and career paths are radically different, they all have one important question to answer before choosing their professional program.

Is their program of choice-not just their college or university-properly accredited? In order to answer this question, each student must first understand the difference between institutional accreditation and program accreditation.

For institutional accreditation, representatives from dedicated accrediting institutions evaluate colleges and universities. This is a means for colleges and universities to assess their own performance and compare themselves with other schools. If a school is awarded accreditation means that the institution meets certain standards of educational quality.

The most widely accepted institutional accrediting bodies in the United States are six regional agencies:. Institutional accreditation is not necessarily a guarantee that credits will transfer between institutions, although it does make it far more likely. Students can check with the program to which they wish to transfer to see if credits will be accepted. Attending an accredited program also carries numerous other benefits.

Students at institutionally accredited organizations are eligible for federal financial aid, and employers are much more likely to recognize accredited degree programs. Furthermore, having undergone an accreditation process means that the institution meets a high standard of educational quality. In contrast, many unaccredited institutions are the equivalent of diploma mills, providing nothing of actual value to their students. Similarly, some "accrediting agencies" are also mills, set up simply to give an aura of legitimacy to the institutions that they falsely accredit.

Students should always check the U. Department of Education database of recognized accrediting bodies and institutions. The second type of accreditation, program accreditation, is generally administered by professionally oriented specialty accrediting bodies. The idea is that professionals in a given field are best able to judge a program's educational quality. For instance, law schools are accredited by the American Bar Association and library schools are accredited by the American Library Association.

Individual professions-such as nursing, dentistry, and psychology-are covered by their own specialized agencies. In many cases, attending a program that is recognized by the right agency is a prerequisite for obtaining a job in fields such as psychology, law, and healthcare.

Many programmatic accreditors such as the APA require that accredited programs be housed in an institutionally accredited school. Programs may be offered that are judged by these specialty bodies, without necessarily possessing institutional accreditation.

For instance, continuing education programs within non-educational settings such as hospitals may be accredited by a specialized accreditation agency. Such courses may count professionally towards professional certifications or state licenses but will not transfer for college transfer credit. Similarly, if a specialty body accredits a program at a school, but the school itself is not institutionally accredited, the program may have professional value, yet credits will not transfer and students may not be able to receive federal financial aid.

Since professional requirements vary, it is crucial to find out what accreditation is necessary for a given career. No matter what vocation a student chooses, it is wise for her to become familiar with the professional requirements in the field.

Tools for investigating professional accreditation requirements include:. With a little research into accreditation, students can be assured of taking the right steps towards a rewarding career.

Department of Education Back To Top. You have done your research. You know how important accreditation is to your educational experience, and you are determined to find out if your school of choice is accredited before you commit to a program. But there are dozens of different accrediting organizations. Does it matter what agency accredits your school? A non - accredited course focuses on equipping the student with a specific skillset. It is excellent for self-enrichment, career development and self- employment.

Tarcisio Epifanio Explainer. Why is accreditation important in child care? What is preschool accreditation and why is it important? Preschool accreditation is a voluntary process that is designed to improve the quality of preschool programs. A preschool that is accredited is guaranteed to offer its students a high level of care in a cheerful, academic environment. Lorriane Niebla Pundit. Is UOP accredited? HLC is one of six regional accrediting bodies in the country that's recognized by the U.

Department of Education. Mikelats Cuatrecasas Pundit. Can I sue my college for losing accreditation? You won't be able to sue , however you may be able to transfer your current credits to another school and graduate from an accredited school.

Betuel Iguileta Pundit. Why is Bennett College losing its accreditation? Nahuel Capa Pundit. How much money does Bennett College need to stay open? Andy Taufkirch Pundit. How much more money does Bennett College need? Rahal Braverman Teacher. What is the status of Bennett College?

Founded in in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bennett College is one only two of historically black colleges just for women. It has been a four-year college since , but in recent years it has, like so many other small, private colleges , found survival increasingly difficult.

Zhongwei Artes Supporter. Do degrees need to be accredited? In the United States accreditation is voluntary. Colleges do not need accreditation in order to open their doors or offer educational programs. If you want to avoid degree programs that have been denied or have opted out of accreditation , it's up to you to research these facts.

Fabien Schwarzen Supporter. Is Harvard accredited? Just curious. Roscoe , May 8, Vinipink , May 8, If you graduate while the school is accredited, you have a degree from an accredited school. Morris Brown College recently lost its accreditation. Informed ahead of time of the date of the announcement, the college moved up the end of the Spring semester in order to graduate its seniors while the college was still accredited.

You might have graduated from it when it was accredited, but then it doesn't appear in guidebooks. The same dilemma is faced by graduates of schools that later shut their doors. If faced with a graduating from an accredited school that later loses its accreditation or b graduating from an unaccredited school that later becomes accredited, I might choose the latter. People might check a school's accreditation status, but I wonder how many would check the date it became accredited and then compare it to when you graduated.