Schools that lack legitimate accreditation often claim accreditation from an unrecognized source. In the United States without recognition from the United States Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation to approve the accreditation agency such accreditations are "bogus" to the academic community^*. Students that attend schools that are accrediated through accreditation associations not recognized by the US Department of Education will not qualify for title four funding (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc.) The following is a list of unrecognized accreditation associations of higher learning, which should not be taken as exhaustive.

List

• Accrediting Commission International (ACI) (in Arkansas)
• Accrediting Council for Colleges and Schools (ACCS)
• Accreditation Governing Commission of the United States of America
• Alternative Institution Accrediting Association (AIAA)
• American Accrediting Association of Theological Institutions (AATI) (in Rocky Mount, NC)
• American Association of Bible Colleges
• American Association of Drugless Practitioners Commission on Accreditation (AADPCA)
• American Association of Independent Collegiate Schools of Business
• American Association of International Medical Graduates (AAIMG)
• American Association of Non-traditional Colleges and Universities (AANCU)
• American Association of Schools (AAS)
• American Council of Private Colleges and Universities (ACPCU) (connected to the operator of Hamilton University, now called Richardson University)
• American Federation of Colleges and Schools (AFCS)
• American Federation of Colleges and Seminaries(AmFed)(AFCS) (in Lakeland, FL)
• American Naturopathic Medical Certification and Accreditation Board (ANMCAB)
• Arizona Commission of Non-Traditional Private Postsecondary Education
• Asia Theological Association (ATA)
• Association for Distance Learning (ADLP)
• Association for Online Academic Excellence (AOAE) (in Wales)
• Association of Christian Colleges and Theological Schools (in Louisiana)
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (in Colorado Springs, Colorado)
• Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA)
• Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore (BTESS)
• Central States Consortium of Colleges & Schools (CSCCS) (connected to the operator of Breyer State University)
• Centre of Academic Excellence UK (CAEUK)
• Central States Council on Distance Education (CSCDE)
• Commission on Medical Denturitry Accreditation (COMDA)
• Council for Distance Education Accreditation (CDEA)
• Council for International Education Accreditation (CIEA)
• Council on Medical Denturitry Education (COMDE)
• Distance Education Council (DEC) (connected to the operator of Saint Regis University)
• Distance Graduation Accrediting Association
• Distance Learning Council of Europe (DLCE) (connected to University Degree Program)
• European Committee for Home and Online Education (ECHOE) (connected to University Degree Program)
• European Council for Distance and Open Learning (ECDOE) (connected to University Degree Program)
• European Quality Improvement System (EQIS)
• Examining Board of Natural Medicine Practitioners (EBNMP)
• Global Accreditation Commission (GAC)
• Higher Education Accreditation Commission (HEAC)
• Higher Education Services Association (HESA) (connected to University Degree Program)
• Integra Accreditation Association (IAA)
• Inter-Collegiate Joint Committee on Academic Standards (ICJCAS)
• Interfaith Education Ministries (IEM)
• International Academic Accrediting Commission (IAAC)
• International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities (IAAOU)
• International Accreditation Association (IAA)
• International Accreditation for Universities, Colleges and Institutes (IAUCI)
• International Accreditation and Recognition Council (IARC)
• International Accrediting Association for Colleges and Universities (IAACU)
• International Accrediting Commission for Postsecondary Institutions (IACPI)
• International Association of Educators for World Peace (There are different groups by the same name though none are authorized accreditors.)
• International Association of Universities and Schools (IAUS)
• International Commission for Higher Education (ICHE)
• International Commission of Open Post Secondary Education (ICOPSE)
• International Council for Accrediting Alternate and Theological Studies (Kerala,India)
• International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICODE)
• International University Accrediting Association (IUAA) (in California)
• Kingdom Fellowship of Christian Schools and Colleges
• Middle States Accrediting Board (MSAB)
• Midwestern States Accreditation Agency (MSAA)
• National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE)
• National Accreditation Association (NAA)
• National Association for Private Post-Secondary Education (NAPSE)
• National Association of Alternative Schools and Colleges (NAASC)
• National Association of Open Campus Colleges (NAOCC)
• National Association for Private Nontraditional Schools and Colleges (NAPNSC)
• National Council of Schools and Colleges (NCSC)
• National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE)
• National Distance Learning Accreditation Council (NDLAC)
• National Learning Online Council (NLOC)
• Non-Traditional Course Accreditation Body (NTCAB)
• Online Christ Centered Ministries OCCM state their purpose is to establish accountibility and recognition: "Accountability: Maintain worthy, theological, ethical and evangelical standards among members. Recognition: Recognize competent and credentialed ministries doing kingdom work on and off the internet."[http://web.archive.org/web/20031210221930/www.sbcollege.net/Accreditation.htm
• Pacific Association of Schools and Colleges (PASC)
• Southern Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and Colleges (SAABIC)
• Tennessee Association of Christian Schools
• The Association for Online Distance Learning (TAODL)
• United Congress of Colleges (UCC) (Ireland, UK)
• United States Distance Learning Association
• US-DETC—Nevada (not to be confused with the legitimate DETC, based in Washington DC.)
• Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA)
• Virtual University Accrediting Association (VUAA)
• West European Accrediting Society (WEAS)
• Western Association of Private Alternative Schools (WAPAS)
• Western Council on Non-Traditional Private Post Secondary Education (WCNPPSE)
• Virtual University Accrediting Association (in California) (VUAA)
• World Association of Universities and Colleges (WAUC) (in Nevada)
• World Online Education Accrediting Commission (WOEAC)
• World-wide Accreditation Commission of Christian Educational Institutions (WACCEI)

References