Components of Accredited or Candidate Institutions

As an institutional accreditor, HLC accredits institutions. An institution may have one or more components. A component is an aspect of the institution’s structure or organization that, regardless of location, modality or legal status, is subject to the control of the institution.

An institution, regardless of its organization or structure, is responsible for all its components. However, HLC accreditation only applies to those components that are included within the member institution’s HLC accreditation. Components of a member institution are included within the HLC accreditation of the member institution unless the component is separately accredited by HLC or the component is otherwise not included within the member institution’s HLC accreditation as set forth in this policy.

Characteristics of a Component Included Within an Institution’s Accreditation

A component is within an institution’s HLC accreditation if it possesses the following characteristics:

1. The component is subject to the control of the institution’s governing board;
2. At least one administrator for the component reports to the designated chief executive officer of the institution or to an administrator as otherwise delegated by the designated chief executive officer;
3. The component involves the institution’s educational programs; and
4. The institution’s legal authorization to grant degrees encompasses the component.

A component that does not have all of these characteristics is not included within the institution’s HLC accreditation.

Processes for the Addition or Modification of Components

The scope of an institution’s HLC accreditation is determined at the time an institution is first conferred status by HLC and can only subsequently be modified pursuant to HLC policy and procedure.

An institution seeking to acquire, eliminate, establish, transfer or otherwise modify a component may need to seek approval under HLC policy.

Consideration of Components During Evaluative Processes

An institution is required to provide evidence of compliance with HLC requirements as it relates to all included components during evaluative processes. An institution may be subject to routine or special monitoring, sanction, or adverse action as set forth in HLC policy even if the evidence warranting the determination of met with concerns or of not met is limited to a single included component.

In cases where a member institution has one or more components that are not included within its HLC accreditation, the member institution may nonetheless be required to provide relevant information about those components to HLC as part of an evaluative process to demonstrate the institution’s ongoing compliance with applicable HLC requirements.

Separate HLC Accreditation of a Component

Characteristics of a Component That Is Separately Accreditable by HLC

A component of a member institution may seek separate accreditation with HLC as a member institution if it has the following characteristics:

1. The component is operating as a branch campus of the institution as approved by HLC;
2. The component is legally authorized to grant degrees in the state or jurisdiction in which it is located by virtue of it being a component of the institution;
3. Both the member institution and the component are subject to the control of a single governing board;
4. The component is authorized by its governing board to have substantial financial and administrative independence, including to initiate and sustain its own educational programs;
5. The component is authorized by its governing board to engage directly with HLC with respect to its accreditation; and
6. The component has a full-time administrator who reports to the institution’s chief executive officer and who is otherwise designated as the chief executive officer of the component.

Process for Seeking Separate HLC Accreditation for a Component

A component seeking separate HLC accreditation must establish that it meets the characteristics outlined in this policy and must seek separate HLC accreditation through HLC’s Eligibility Process. A separately accreditable component remains a component included within the member institution’s HLC accreditation unless and until the separately accreditable component obtains status with HLC as described in this policy.

Evaluation of a Component That Is Separately Accredited by HLC

A component that is separately accredited by HLC shall be awarded status independent of the institution, have its own evaluative schedule, and undergo its own evaluative activities in accordance with HLC policy and procedure. Depending on the nature of the evidence warranting the determination of met with concerns or not met that arises in an evaluative process for either the institution or its separately accredited component, HLC may undertake an evaluation or action regarding the institution and/or its separately accredited component in accordance with HLC policy and procedure.

Public Information

In public information, an institution that has a component that is separately accredited by HLC must appropriately and accurately disclose information about that separately accredited component and the component’s status with HLC, as applicable.

A component that is separately accredited by HLC must also appropriately and accurately disclose information about its relationship to the institution of which it is a component, as applicable.

Process for Resignation of a Component That Is Separately Accredited by HLC

A component that is separately accredited by HLC may voluntarily resign its HLC accreditation in accordance with HLC policy INST.B.30.010 Voluntary Resignation of Accreditation or Candidacy while remaining a branch campus of, and therefore included within the HLC accreditation of, a member institution.

Policy History

Last Revised or Edited: February 2026
First Adopted: January 1983
History:* revised June 2000; revised June 2009; revised and renumbered November 2012 (policies combined, see note); revised November 2020; edited February 2021; revised June 2021; revised June 2023; revised and renumbered February 2026 (former policy number INST.B.10.020)
Notes: Policies combined November 2012: 3.4, 3.4(a), 3.4(b).

* In the history, “revised” indicates that the HLC Board of Trustees adopted changes to the policy, and “edited” indicates that HLC staff made technical amendments or minor editorial revisions that did not require formal Board approval.