ACCREDITATION PROCESS

Any educational institution that intends to earn the accreditation status from the European Association for Higher Education Advancement must demonstrate compliance or commit to complying with them, through the application for accreditation, with the education quality standards set forth by the European Association for Higher Education Advancement.

1. Application for Accreditation:

The European Association for Higher Education Advancement has prepared an application for accreditation that will guide the applicant institutions in the preparation of the Self-Study Report and the required documentary evidence. The applicant may apply online for accreditation and answer the required questions.

This application is a legally binding contract between the European Association for Higher Education Advancement and the applicant institution that states the rights and obligations of both parties.

The applicant institution may apply for verification of its accreditation eligibility by paying the Application Fee. Once the EAHEA Secretary confirms the eligible options, the applicant institution is entitled to pay the Accreditation Fee.

The European Association for Higher Education Advancement will not start any accreditation process without the corresponding application and paying the Application Fee.

2. Consideration of Eligibility:

Accreditation focuses on higher education institutions and vocational/avocational institutions. An eligible member must be any kind of organization, entity, or company properly authorized/incorporated to conduct educational teaching and certification, to award degrees, certificates, or other educational or professional credentials.

The entities eligible for accreditation must prepare individuals to achieve competencies and attain the educational qualifications necessary to begin functioning in a specific occupation. In other words, they must prepare individuals in a branch of knowledge, science, art, or business that has application in a specific occupation, usually requiring significant specialized training or profession.

3. Accreditation Fees:

The institution of education applying for accreditation to the European Association for Higher Education Advancement must pay the Accreditation Fee once the eligibility has been confirmed by the EAHEA Secretariat, and before any actual evaluation of the accreditation process starts.

All service fees are according to the World Bank Country Income Classification, and additional discounts may be applied depending on the economic situation of the country where you live or operate. For service fees, please click here.

4. Evaluation Process:

The European Association for Higher Education Advancement Secretariat will review and grade the application for accreditation and the attached documents for the assessment of how each standard is addressed by the applicant educational institution. Each standard is graded on a 0 to 4 scale.

The evaluation of each standard is graded according to the following scale:

4 - Outstanding: No need for improvement.
3 - Standard: May improve.
2 - Acceptable: Requires improvement.
1 - Insufficient: Not meeting the minimums.
0 - Null: Failed to comply with this requirement.

5. Interview or Site Visit:

If deemed necessary, the Commission Member may require an interview (online or face-to-face) with the appointed representative of the applicant educational institution or arrange a site visit from a member of the Commission. This action is usually scheduled if the material provided by the applicant is insufficient for a clear judgment, or further clarification about specific accreditation standards is required.

6. Announcement:

The European Association for Higher Education Advancement Secretariat will communicate the results of initial evaluation results status to the members of the Commission. The members of the Commission have 30 days from the announcement to review and amend the conclusions and grades of the initial accreditation report.

7. Conclusion:

The European Association for Higher Education Advancement Secretariat will communicate the results of the accreditation status and any grade amendments from the Commission Members to the president of the EAHEA. The president will review the accreditation report to resolve any discrepancies that may have occurred during the standards grading. The final grades of the accreditation report are endorsed by the president of the European Association for Higher Education Advancement.

The EAHEA Secretary will inform the new applicant educational institution of the conclusions of the accreditation report and will provide suggestions, if applicable. In the case that full accreditation is gained, the European Association for Higher Education Advancement Secretary will send the corresponding accreditation certificate.

In any case, the detailed accreditation report is always sent to the applicant.

The resulting average will determine the accreditation status:

Full Accreditation: Final average ranging 3,0 - 4,0. Requires re-accreditation review every five years.

Conditional Accreditation: Final average ranging 2,0 - 2,9. This is a one-year-long temporary status. The educational institution must undergo a new re-accreditation review within 12 months of conditional accreditation. If full accreditation is not achieved in this review, the accreditation status will be denied.

Denial of Accreditation: Final average ranging 0,0 - 1,9. The Accrediting Commission will explain the reasons for the denial. The accreditation fee is not refundable in this situation. Any educational institution, in this case, may reapply for accreditation after a 12-month-period.

Initial Inquiry / Applicant Process

Phase 1:

• Institution/organization makes a Request for Information at EAHEA’s website at www.eahea.org and/or by contacting EAHEA Secretariat directly to discuss the accreditation process.
• Institution submits a completed Online Application Form and Processing Fee for preliminary determination of eligibility; initial acceptance/rejection letter is forwarded to the institution; if eligible, additional instructions will be given.

Phase 2:

• Institution completes the Application for Accreditation.
• Institution submits a completed Inquiry Questionnaire and Accreditation Fee for accreditation.

Phase 3:

• Institution submits necessary documentation.
• On-site/Online examination team visit is scheduled.
• On-site/Online team evaluation is conducted, and a written team report is sent to the institution for review and response.
• Institutional response to the on-site/online examination team report is submitted to EAHEA.

Phase 4:

• Accrediting Body reviews and makes a decision regarding initial accreditation.
• Notification of the Accrediting Body’s decision is sent to the institution.