Submitted by Cheryl Dowd on
Guidance

Accreditation and Eligibility Requirements for Distance Education

Description 

The purpose of the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) is to clarify and reinstate guidance to accrediting agencies and institutions that had been waived during the national emergency related to COVID-19.

The DCL addresses Department requirements with respect to institutional eligibility for distance education and expectations of nationally recognized institutional accrediting agencies.

The Department clarifies that a program offered fully or partially via distance education is eligible for Title IV federal aid only if it is delivered by an institution accredited by an agency whose recognized scope includes distance education, even if the institution does not exceed a 50% threshold in distance offerings. Accreditation agencies themselves must explicitly include distance education in their scope of recognition to validate eligibility for such programs.

Action to be taken

  • Confirm Accreditor Recognition
    • Verify your accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for distance education.
  • Check Institutional Accreditation
    • Ensure your institution’s accreditation explicitly includes distance education authority.
  • Review Programs
    • Identify all online and hybrid programs and confirm they are covered by accreditor approval.
  • File with Accreditor
    • Submit substantive change applications if required for new or expanded online programs.
  • Document Approvals
    • Keep copies of accreditor confirmations and approvals for audit and compliance review.
  • Ongoing Monitoring
    • Integrate into regular Title IV and accreditation compliance reviews.
  • Staff Training
    • Inform leadership, compliance officers, and financial aid staff of the link between accreditation scope and Title IV eligibility.

Publication Date

  • May 18, 2023, but waiver continued until October 7, 2023.

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