Academics · Subject Resources

“Fully accredited”
by whom, exactly?

Every school says it is accredited. What matters is who the accreditor is, whether that accreditor is recognized, and whether the school is really in its directory with current status. Run each school or online program through seven checks and six warning signs before you pay, and get a verdict: verified, keep checking or walk away.

Check a schoolWhat you get

Schools checked

The worked example is made up: an online high school that checks out, a private school with three checks still to do and a “university” that names a look-alike accreditor. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A record per school or program: name, kind, the accreditor it names, date checked, cost a year, seven verification checks marked confirmed, failed, not checked or not applicable, and six warning signs. Works out checks confirmed out of those that apply, warning signs seen and a verdict (verified, keep checking, walk away); flags failed checks, unchecked items, unrecognized college accreditors and a yearly recheck.
Who it is for
Families choosing a private, online or homeschool-provider school, adults choosing a college or career program, and school counselors helping them.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per school. Prints one school, every school in a table or a blank checklist; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Get the accreditor’s exact name in writing.
  2. Check the accreditor before the school.
  3. Find the school in the accreditor’s directory yourself.
  4. Mark every warning sign you see.
  5. Ask the next school about credits, in writing.

Check a school

How to verify

Verify accreditation in five steps1Get the accreditor’s exact nameFrom the school, in writing,spelled exactly.2Check the accreditorColleges: U.S. Department ofEducation or CHEA lists. K-12:3Find the school in its directoryOn the accreditor’s own site,not a link from the school.4Check status and scopeCurrent, and covering thiscampus, program and grades.5Ask the next schoolWill it accept these credits?Get the answer in writing.Verify accreditation in five steps1Get the accreditor’s exact nameFrom the school, in writing, spelledexactly.2Check the accreditorColleges: U.S. Department of Educationor CHEA lists. K-12: ask your state ordistrict.3Find the school in its directoryOn the accreditor’s own site, not a linkfrom the school.4Check status and scopeCurrent, and covering this campus,program and grades.5Ask the next schoolWill it accept these credits? Get theanswer in writing.
Accreditation mills invent accreditors with names close to real ones, so step two comes before anything the school tells you about itself.

Colleges and K-12 differ

For colleges, recognized accreditors are listed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and federal student aid depends on it. K-12 accreditation is voluntary in most places; what matters is whether your state, school district and future schools accept it.

Accreditation mills

A mill sells a seal. Its name is often close to a real accreditor’s, it has no public standards or directory, and the schools it “accredits” award credit for life experience or a fee. If two or more warning signs show up, stop before you pay or send documents.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education. Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, and the list of recognized accrediting agencies (ope.ed.gov).
  2. Council for Higher Education Accreditation. CHEA-recognized accrediting organizations and directory (chea.org).
  3. Federal Trade Commission. Diploma mills: degrees of deception (consumer.ftc.gov).
  4. U.S. Department of Education. Diploma mills and accreditation, guidance for students and employers (ed.gov).

The worked example and the schools in it are made up. Final decisions on credit belong to the receiving school. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.