INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO APPLY FOR INITIAL INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION 
Thank you for your interest in seeking institutional accreditation by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).  ABHES is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accreditor of private, postsecondary institutions in the United States offering predominantly allied health education programs leading to a certificate, diploma, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Occupational Science, Academic Associate degree, and/or Baccalaureate degree including those offered via distance education.  Please see Chapter II, Section A, Subsection I, on Basic Eligibility from the ABHES Accreditation Manual.  If, after review of these requirements, you feel that your institution meets the criteria and is ready to apply for accreditation, please complete the Application for Institutional Accreditation and submit it along with the following required documents: 

  1. Application Addendum for each non-main or satellite campus assigned to the main campus, if applicable;
  2. A copy of the approval letter(s) from the state and any other agency(ies), where the institution (main, non-main, and/or satellite campuses) operates, preferably with the name of each program and its approved program length;
  3. A current school catalog;
  4. Completed and signed (with original signature) Ownership Disclosure Form;
  5. Copy of Current Business License (excluding state/community colleges and hospital-based institutions/programs);
  6. Audited* or Reviewed Financial Statement for last fiscal year;
  7. Additional information and/or explanation regarding applicable attestation disclosures stated within the Application; and
  8. Application fee payment.  For application fee details, view the Fees Appendix of the Accreditation Manual. All fees must be paid electronically, please request an invoice by emailing applications@abhes.org.  A separate application fee is required for each main, non-main, and/or satellite campus location.  

*NOTE:  An institution will also be required to submit the most current audited financial statement by June 30 or December 30th depending on the Commission meeting where the school is to be considered.  A grant of accreditation will be contingent upon receipt, review, and approval of a current audited statement. ABHES requires that this application along with noted attachments are submitted electronically via email to applications@abhes.org. All documents must include the required original signatures where applicable. For each email attachment, a separate file should be made and appropriately labeled(see screenshot below).  The total number of attachments is dependent on the application plus the number of exhibits to accompany the application.  Each attachment/file should be named according to its content (e.g., “Application”, “Non-Main Campus Addendum”, “Ownership Disclosure Form”, “Catalog”, “Reviewed Financial Statement”, etc.).

Application Submission Example

If you have any questions regarding this application, contact Amy Rowe, Associate Executive Director of Membership Services at arowe@abhes.org.For more details regarding the ABHES accreditation process, use the following links:  Accreditation Timeline and  The Accreditation Process.