What is accreditation?
Accreditation is nothing but getting accredited to accreditation bodies that decide the quality of the college or university.
Why is accreditation important?
Accreditation is important as it decides the quality level of the college. Getting accredited to an accrediting body can represent the quality of your college. Whereas, every company now requires students who pass out from colleges that are accredited to well-known and well executing accrediting bodies. For Example, Becker College is accredited with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. People prefer students passed out or studying in such schools or colleges for recruiting them for jobs.
What are the benefits of going to college with accreditation?
- Federal Aid: When you join a college that has accreditation to any of the accrediting agencies or organizations only then you can acquire federal aid from the respective school or college or any other organization. Even if they get any scholarship they are not supposed to use it until they are accredited to any of the colleges with accreditation facilities.
- Recognized: Getting a degree from accreditation facility college, you will be recognized by co-operating companies or where ever you join for work. You will also be recognized when you go for your higher studies. They check about which college the student studied previously. If you have passed out from a college accredited to one of the famous accrediting agencies then you have a chance of getting selected in one of the most famous colleges or universities for your higher education.
How do know which college has accreditation?
When you look for your courses online make sure the college also has accreditation for the college you which to join. For example, in your search for the best online literature colleges, you have to even look for the accreditation of the college. If you find it difficult finding it on the college website then there are many colleges that have a list of colleges with the entire details about the college.
Make sure the accredited agency itself is accredited. To know the exact details about the accreditation you can look into the US Department of Education’s Office of Post-secondary Education (OPE) database. This has the entire details about the colleges accredited and all the accredited agencies. The colleges or agencies which are genuine and are recognized by the US Department of Education are listed in the database. Â
Different Accrediting Agencies are:
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC): HLC is an accrediting agency in Chicago. It was formed during the year 2001.
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS):  SACS is recognized by the US Department of Education and also by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. This is one of the oldest accrediting agencies formed in 1895.
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE): MSCHE also known as Mid – Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education. This is a non-profit association. It is also recognized by the US Department of Education and Council of Higher Education Accreditation. This is also one of the oldest and famous accrediting agencies in the US which was formed about 125 years back in 1887.
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC): NEASC is also one of the non-profit organizations which serve almost 2000 public and independent schools and other colleges. It is also one of the oldest formed accredited agencies in 1885.
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU): This is also an independent and non-profit organization that is also recognized by the UD Department of Education and was formed in 1917.
