PUBLIC NOTICES – USHEAC

  • The Best Accrediting Commissions in the World

    The U.S. Seven Regional Accrediting Agencies are consistently rated as the best Accreditation Commissions by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

  • Termination of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools as an ED Recognized Accrediting Agency

    On August 19, 2022, the Deputy Secretary of Education, as delegated by the Secretary, issued a final decision on the appeal of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) regarding its status as a recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. Deputy Secretary Marten has upheld the decision by the Senior Department Official (SDO) to terminate ACICS as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

    The Deputy Secretary’s decision follows a several years-long process that began in 2016, with ED’s decision to terminate recognizing ACICS. ACICS’s appeal to have its recognition reinstated was denied by then Secretary John King. ACICS followed that decision with a lawsuit against ED. After a federal judge required ED to consider new evidence, Secretary DeVos reinstated ACICS in 2018.

    In January 2021, accreditation staff at ED released a report recommending ED once again stop recognizing ACICS as an accrediting agency. ED’s 2021 staff report said, among other things, that ACICS failed to demonstrate it could effectively evaluate, monitor, and enforce quality standards for schools.

    On March 4, 2021, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Improvement (NACIQI) also recommended that ED terminate its recognition of ACICS. NACIQI is an independent, bipartisan advisory committee appointed by Congress. On June 2, 2021, ED’s Senior Department Official (SDO) agreed with the ED staff and NACIQI recommendations.

    On July 2, 2021, ACICS appealed the SDO’s decision, and the appeal was forwarded to ED Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten for decision. Deputy Secretary Marten upheld the SDO decision and the recommendations of ED staff and NACIQI to terminate recognition of ACICS. Her decision is considered final and officially starts an 18-month period for schools currently accredited by ACICS to find another accreditor to continue offering federal student grants, loans, or work-study funds.

    At the links below, you can find information and guidance for students, institutions, and others related to this final decision by the Deputy Secretary.

    Information for Students
    Decisions on ACICS

  • Recognition of Foreign Academic Degrees

    Academic degrees earned from foreign accredited universities are not recognized in the United States of America unless they are evaluated as equivalent to the same degrees awarded by regionally accredited universities. Credential evaluation is conducted by accredited Credential Evaluation Services and California University Foreign Credential Evaluation.

  • Academic Degrees Earned from USHEAC Institutional Members

    All graduates of USHEAC institutional members shall be awarded the equivalency degrees of regionally accredited universities after the graduates passed the course evaluation and assessment conducted by California University FCE.