No longer a distinction between national and regional accreditors

[inf]

In 2022, regional and national became under the same branch by the federal government, due to issues with monopolization by accreditation commissions. We no longer have regional accreditors, technically speaking.

 U.S Department of Education has amended the 2019 negotiated rulemaking on postsecondary accreditation, by allowing regional accrediting bodies to be able to accredit anywhere in the United States.

https://bppe.consulting/f/accreditation-series-6-big-news---no-more-%E2%80%9Cregional%E2%80%9D-accreditors?blogcategory=WASC

[allvia]

You'll notice that even the article puts the word “Regional” in quantitation marks. When we refer to RA here on this forum, we mean one of those accreditors listed - it doesn't actually mean a map area or region that they accredit.  These RA having the ability to go national (international in some cases) are still in a very different class than any National Acceditor (NA).  RA still wins out.  Drexel has a good page on the subject -  https://www.online.drexel.edu/news/natio...ation.aspx

[rachel83az]

Technically, theoretically, they're now the same thing. Practically, most/all formerly RA schools that didn't accept then-NA credits will still refuse to accept credits that don't come from schools accredited by specific accrediting institutions.

[jsd]

Technically, theoretically, they're now the same thing. Practically, most/all formerly RA schools that didn't accept then-NA credits will still refuse to accept credits that don't come from schools accredited by specific accrediting institutions.

On top of individual schools still generally making the RA distinction, keep in mind that many state level licensing boards/agencies and other professional organizations related to licensure still do make this distinction.

[sanantone]

CHEA still makes the distinction. Some are under the impression that the U.S. Department of Education's change of language makes it illegal for universities and employers to discriminate against NA schools but it doesn't. Schools, employers, and licensing boards have the freedom to maintain any accreditation requirements they have. USDE does not regulate faculty educational requirements or the acceptance of transfer credits or prerequisite degrees.

[MichaelGates]

Hopefully everyone already has a copy of the attached Department of Education letter from February 26, 2020. 

If anyone has a more recent version, please post it.

https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2020/03/....26.19.pdf

[LevelUP]

The last thing people want is to work hard for a college degree, then get discriminated against because it's a NA college.

There is no cost/time benefit for NA vs. RA, so this is why we recommend RA schools.

[Alpha]

I keep mine nearby at all times.

The last time I checked, most state teaching certificates required an RA degree.  That may not be true in your neighborhood but if it is it might be a good time to consider opening up teaching certs to people having NA degrees.  I've heard there's quite a shortage of teachers these days.

[dfrecore]

All this ruling did was make it ok for Regional Accrediting bodies to branch out. It did not change RA or NA or anything else.

[sanantone]

The only national accreditor I can think of that covers much of the same ground as regional accreditors is DEAC, but DEAC focuses on schools that primarily offer programs via distance learning. There are a few national accreditors that only accredit Christian or Jewish schools. The rest of the national accreditors are focused on career schools. For most baccalaureate programs and higher, your only options are RA or DEAC. Then, there's TRACS, which often lets schools offer programs that have nothing to do with religion. I'd advise people to be cautious with TRACS and ACCSC schools since they might get the ACICS treatment.