ACCREDITING AGENCIES RECOGNIZED FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION AND/OR CORRESPONDENCE EDUCATION.

Current regulations, that became effective on July 1, 2010, distinguish between “distance education” and “correspondence education.” Accrediting agencies that have been reviewed since that date have been required to state whether they wish to have distance education, correspondence education, or both in their scope of recognition. Agencies that have not yet been reviewed for renewal of their recognition, and that previously had distance education in their scope, are recognized for both distance education and correspondence education. That status may change following their next scheduled review.

The following list includes those agencies whose accreditation enables the institutions they accredit to establish eligibility to participate in the Federal Student Assistant Program. Each of these is designated as “Title IV gatekeeper”.

It also includes agencies that only accredit programs. Each of these is designated as “Not Title IV gatekeeper”.

I. Agencies that have been reviewed since July 1, 2010 that are recognized for distance education and/or correspondence education

ACCREDITATION COMMISSION FOR MIDWIFERY EDUCATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding institutions of midwifery education may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

ACCREDITING BUREAU OF HEALTH EDUCATION SCHOOLS
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding allied health education schools may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

ACCREDITING COMMISSION OF CAREER SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper

ACCREDITING COUNCIL FOR INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper

ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR PHARMACY EDUCATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Not Title IV gatekeeper

AMERICAN BOARD OF FUNERAL SERVICE EDUCATION, COMMITTEE ON ACCREDITATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding schools or colleges of funeral service or mortuary science may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON DENTAL ACCREDITATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Not Title IV gatekeeper

AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION, ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Not Title IV gatekeeper

AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION, COUNCIL ON ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION IN AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY
(recognition includes distance education)
Not Title IV gatekeeper

(THE) ASSOCIATION FOR BIBLICAL HIGHER EDUCATION, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper

COMMISSION ON ACCREDITING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF THEOLOGICAL SCHOOLS
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding institutions, colleges, or seminaries of theology may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

COMMISSION ON COLLEGIATE NURSING EDUCATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Not Title IV gatekeeper

COMMISSION ON MASSAGE THERAPY ACCREDITATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding schools or colleges of massage therapy, body work and aesthetics/esthetics may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

COUNCIL ON OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper

DISTANCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING COUNCIL, ACCREDITING COMMISSION
(recognition includes distance education and correspondence education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only accredited institutions that are certified by the agency as accredited for Title IV purposes may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility of its degree granting programs to participate in Title IV programs.

JOINT REVIEW COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only hospital-based radiologic technology programs and freestanding radiologic technology institutions may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

MIDWIFERY EDUCATION ACCREDITATION COUNCIL
(recognition includes distance education and correspondence education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding, direct-entry midwifery educational institutions may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in the Title IV programs.

MONTESSORI ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding Montessori teacher education schools may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION ON SECONDARY SCHOOLS
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only those vocational/technical schools accredited by this agency that offer non-degree, postsecondary education may use that accreditation to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR NURSING ACCREDITING COMMISSION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only diploma programs and practical nursing programs not located in a regionally accredited college or university may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS, COMMISSION ON COLLEGES
(recognition includes distance education and correspondence education)
Title IV gatekeeper

TRANSNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS, ACCREDITING COMMISSION
(recognition includes distance education)
Title IV gatekeeper

II. Agencies that were recognized for distance education prior to the new definitions. Their recognition currently encompasses correspondence education.

ACCREDITING COUNCIL FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only those institutions classified by this agency as "vocational" may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

ACADEMY OF NUTRITIOIN AND DIETETICS, ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR EDUCATION IN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only postbaccalaureate dietetic internship programs may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION IN PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION
Not Title IV gatekeeper

COUNCIL ON ACCREDITATION OF NURSE ANESTHESIA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only hospital-based nurse anesthesia programs and freestanding nurse anesthesia institutions may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
Not Title IV gatekeeper

MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Title IV gatekeeper

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF ART AND DESIGN, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding schools or colleges of art and design may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF DANCE, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding schools or colleges of dance may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF MUSIC, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding schools or colleges of music may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF THEATRE, COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION
Title IV gatekeeper
Note: Only freestanding schools or colleges of theatre may use accreditation by this agency to establish eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Not Title IV gatekeeper

NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, COMMISSION ON INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Title IV gatekeeper

NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF REGENTS, AND THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Title IV gatekeeper

NORTH CENTRAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS, THE HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION
Title IV gatekeeper

NORTHWEST COMMISSION ON COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Title IV gatekeeper

WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES
Title IV gatekeeper

WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR SENIOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Title IV gatekeeper