Dues and Fees Schedule
Fiscal Year 2026–27
Member Dues Formula
Dues schedule effective July 1, 2026. Invoices sent to institutions July 1, 2026.
Base Dues
$5,750
HLC’s annual dues are set to distribute the cost of maintaining accreditation evenly over each Pathway for Reaffirmation of Accreditation cycle. In this system, no base fees are assessed for Standard and Open Pathway evaluations.
Note:
- Institutions will still be billed for expenses related to peer review team visits when they are required as part of these evaluations. Team expenses typically include travel, lodging, meals and honoraria.
- If a multi-campus visit is required as part of the comprehensive evaluation, a visit fee will apply.
- Institutions completing a Student Success Quality Initiative will be billed for peer reviewer honoraria for the review of the Student Success Quality Initiative Proposal and Report.
FTE Dues
$0.65 x ([number of full-time students] + [1/3 the number of part-time students])
The number of full- and part-time students at all institutions is determined using IPEDS definitions based on the numbers submitted in the latest Institutional Update. See HLC’s glossary for definitions of:
Off-Campus Activity Dues
$105 x ([number of additional locations] + [number of branch campuses x 10])
The number submitted in the latest Institutional Update of additional locations includes degree completion locations, and the number of branch campuses does not include the main campus. However, for multi-campus institutions with no main campus, all campuses are included in the calculation. See HLC’s glossary for definitions of branch campus and additional location.
Fees Schedule
Effective September 1, 2026.
HLC typically charges institutions a base fee for evaluations and other processes. If an evaluation includes a visit, HLC will also charge for expenses incurred by peer reviewers who conduct the visit. Expenses typically include travel, lodging, meals and honoraria for peer review team members conducting an on-site visit.
Note: HLC reserves the right to request a deposit at any time.
Standard and Open Pathways
| Assurance Review Team honoraria (evaluation fee included in member dues) |
| Comprehensive Evaluation Team expenses (evaluation fee included in member dues) |
| Federal Compliance Review (if applicable1) Peer reviewer honorarium (evaluation fee included in member dues) |
| Multi-campus Visit (if applicable2) $825 per campus + expenses |
| Open Quality Initiative Proposal or Report Included in member dues |
| Student Success Quality Initiative Proposal or Report Review panel honoraria (evaluation fee included in member dues) |
1 Federal Compliance Reviews are conducted as part of comprehensive evaluations for reaffirmation of accreditation.
2 Multi-campus visits are conducted as part of comprehensive evaluations for reaffirmation of accreditation for institutions with one or more branch campuses.
Substantive Change
| Additional Location Confirmation Visit $825 + expenses |
| Campus Evaluation Visit $4,200 + expenses |
| Change Panel $1,150 |
| Change Visit $4,200 + expenses |
| Desk Review3 $1,150 |
| Embedded Change Request $1,150 |
3 For the following types of changes, institutions can submit multiple requests at the same time for a single fee:
- Certificate programs: HLC will charge a single desk review fee for every 10 applications submitted at the same time.
- Additional locations: Institutions in the Notification Program for Additional Locations will be charged a single desk review fee for every 10 applications submitted at the same time. Institutions that are not in the Notification Program can include up to three additional locations in a single substantive change application.
Change of Control, Structure and Organization
| Initial Interaction $6,250 + expenses + (legal and consultancy expenses + 15%) |
| Change of Control Panel $7,750 (no additional fees) |
| Change of Control Visit $8,400 + expenses |
| Standard Review4 $11,500 + expenses + (legal and consultancy expenses + 15%) |
| Complex Review4 $21,000 + expenses + (legal and consultancy expenses + 15%) |
4 Fees applied in addition to the Initial Interaction for Change of Control, Structure or Organization and HLC determination of type of review required.
Multi-location Visit
| Multi-location Visit $825 per additional location + expenses |
Monitoring
| Advisory Visit $4,200 + expenses |
| Focused Visit $4,200 + expenses |
| Interim Report $675 |
| Special Monitoring Report Peer reviewer honorarium (evaluation fee included in member dues) |
Risk Indicators
| Financial Panel Report $675 |
| Non-financial Panel Report $675 |
| Student Success Indicator Report Peer reviewer honorarium (evaluation fee included in member dues) |
Sanctions and Show-Cause Orders
| Notice Visit $8,400 + expenses |
| Comprehensive Evaluation for Probation $8,400 + expenses |
| Comprehensive Evaluation for Show-Cause $8,400 + expenses |
Seeking Accreditation
Eligibility Process
| Application Fee $7,050 |
| Eligibility Interview $3,500 |
| Letter of Intent to Submit Eligibility Filing $7,050 |
| Eligibility Filing Filing: $7,050 Filing Revision: $1,200 |
Candidacy Process
| Letter of Intent to Pursue Candidacy $7,050 |
| Comprehensive Evaluation for Candidacy $8,400 + expenses |
| Federal Compliance Review Peer reviewer honorarium |
| Multi-campus Visit (if applicable5) $825 per campus + expenses |
| Biennial Evaluation $4,200 + expenses |
| Comprehensive Evaluation for Initial Accreditation $8,400 + expenses |
| Federal Compliance Review Peer reviewer honorarium |
| Multi-campus Visit (if applicable5) $825 per campus + expenses |
Accelerated Process for Initial Accreditation
| Application Fee $5,000 |
| Preliminary Peer Review $10,000 |
| Comprehensive Evaluation for Initial Accreditation $8,400 + expenses |
| Federal Compliance Review Peer reviewer honorarium |
| Multi-campus Visit (if applicable5) $825 per campus + expenses |
5 Multi-campus visits are conducted as part of comprehensive evaluations for candidacy or initial accreditation for institutions with one or more branch campuses.
Hearings and Appeals
| Appeal Panel Hearing $6,600 + expenses + (legal and consultancy expenses + 15%) Requires a $40,000 deposit |
| Arbitration Hearing $6,600 + expenses + (legal and consultancy expenses + 15%) Requires a $40,000 deposit |
| Board Committee Hearing $6,600 + expenses + (legal and consultancy expenses + 15%) Requires a $20,000 deposit |
| Institutional Actions Council Hearing In-person hearing: $6,600 Virtual hearing: $5,100 |
Other Visits and Fees
| Document Retrieval Fee $250 |
| HLC Staff Campus Visit $825 + expenses |
| Pre-visit by Team Chair $825 per location + expenses |
| Late Payment Fee on Past-Due Balances 10% of total past-due amount at 90+ days |
| Other Legal and Consultancy Costs Related to Accreditation Activity and Legal Inquiries Actual expenses + 15% |
Related Resources
