Affiliation with the Higher Learning Commission

Colleges and universities may be affiliated with the Commission in one of two ways: by gaining and maintaining accredited status, which carries membership in the Commission, or by gaining and maintaining candidate status, which is a limited-term status. Both are voluntary and are initiated by the institution of higher learning.

Initial Candidacy

The president advises the organization of the results of the Preliminary Information review process and informs an organization when the Eligibility Reviewers have concluded that a comprehensive visit by an evaluation team is warranted.

Disclaimer: The Handbook of Accreditation, Third Edition, was published in 2003. Readers should review the new and revised policies in addition to the Handbook to ensure the most up-to-date information is being used.

Rationale for Candidacy

Candidacy is a preaccreditation status. It affiliates the institution with the Commission, but does not give it membership in the Commission. Candidacy provides time and support to a new and changing college or university as it develops into an accreditable organization. For most institutions, candidacy enables students to qualify for federal financial aid programs, and it often aids in the transferability of the candidate institution’s credits to another college or university.

Period of Candidacy

Candidacy is required for a minimum of two years for all institutions applying for status with the Commission. Institutions have a comprehensive visit every two years until accreditation is achieved. The frequency of the visits enables the Commission to be an effective partner in the institution’s growth and development. Federal law restricts candidacy to five years. Commission policy sets four years as the expected length of candidacy, thereby giving to the Board the option in rare cases of extending candidacy for a fifth year.

Hallmarks of Effective Candidacy

Because the fundamental purpose of the Candidacy Program is developmental, an effective candidacy relationship is marked by the institution’s

Understanding of what it needs to attend to before it can achieve accredited status
Realistic sense of its capacity to achieve accredited status
Forthrightness and integrity in conducting and reporting its self-study process
Flexibility in the face of unanticipated changes

The Candidacy Self-Study Report

A candidacy self-study report has the following unique components.

It provides explicit evidence that the organization meets the Eligibility Requirements.
It demonstrates the degree to which the organization meets each of the five Criteria for Accreditation.
It includes the plan for the organization's candidacy period.

While the Commission does not grant candidate status to an institution unless it has strong evidence that the institution can achieve accredited status within the candidacy period, the Commission cannot guarantee that the organization will, in fact, achieve accredited status. Because of this, the biennial visit for continued candidacy is important. Assuming that the organization is making good progress, the evaluation team can provide invaluable advice on important priorities. If the organization has not met its anticipated goals, the team must determine whether candidate status should be continued.

Candidacy Processes

The Candidacy Program involves four processes for determining initial and continued candidate status.

Preparing for and hosting a comprehensive visit. A college preparing for an evaluation should study the counsel provided in the Handbook.
Responding to the team evaluation and recommendation. In the Candidacy Program, the Commission follows the timelines typical for all comprehensive evaluations. The team typically shares its recommendations at an Exit Session at the conclusion of the visit. The institution receives and responds to the draft and final team reports. At any point, the college is free to seek advice from its Commission staff liaison.
Appearing before a Review Committee. Every team recommendation for initial status must be examined by a Review Committee. A college representative and the team chair meet face-to-face with the committee. The Commission provides detailed instructions several weeks before the hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Review Committee announces its findings. The recommendations of the team and the Review Committee are forwarded to the Board of Trustees.
Board of Trustees Review. The Board of Trustees reviews all recommendations for Initial Candidacy at its regular meetings. The Board reviews the original self-study materials from the institution, the report of the visiting team, the report of the Review Committee, and any institutional response to those reports.

Moving to Accreditation

When the institution seeks initial accredited status, it begins to prepare a self-study report. A self-study report for initial accreditation must contain a chapter in which the institution provides evidence that it continues to meet the Eligibility Requirements required when granted initial candidacy.