Components of Accredited or Candidate Institutions

Because HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an institutional accreditor, the accreditation status HLC confers applies to an institution as a whole. 

The accreditation status of an institution shall include the institution’s main campus or administrative office located within HLC’s jurisdiction and all its components wherever located. Components of an institution shall include all branch campuses, additional locations, other instructional sites and any divisions offering distance education or correspondence education, regardless of where operating. 

Characteristics of a Component That May Be Included in the Institution’s Accredited or Candidate Status  

An entity may be deemed a component of an institution if responsibility for the educational and operational activities of the component is clearly located at a main campus or administrative office that is central to the institution that holds accredited or candidate status with HLC. 

The component may be included in the institution’s status only if it has all of the following characteristics: 

1. the main campus or administrative office has oversight over the finances, administration, and hiring, firing and retention of personnel at the component; 
2. an administrator for the component reports to the chief executive officer of the accredited or candidate institution or system; 
3. the main campus or system office provides meaningful oversight over the academic programs at the component; 
4. degree-granting authority of the main campus or system office encompasses, where possible, the degree or program activity of the component; 
5. public information about the institution, the component, and any corporate parent or structure is consistent with the characterization of the entity as a component of the accredited or candidate institution or system. 

Characteristics of a Separately Accreditable Component 

An existing component of an accredited institution may seek separate accreditation as an independent institution if it has the following characteristics: 

1. it has been authorized, under board policy, to have substantial financial and administrative independence from the accredited institution including in matters related to its personnel; 
2. it has a full time chief administrative officer; 
3. it is empowered, under board policy, to initiate and sustain its own academic programs; 
4. it has independent degree-granting authority in the state or jurisdiction in which it is located; and 
5. public information about the institution, the component, and any corporate parent or structure is consistent with the characterization of the entity as a separately accreditable entity. 

Processes for Including a Component Within the Accreditation Status of the Institution 

At the time the institution seeks membership with HLC, HLC will review the status of all components of the institution to determine whether the institution seeking accreditation constitutes a single institution or a system for the purpose of accreditation. 

An accredited or candidate institution developing a new component(s) (for example, a law school or other component offering new academic programs) must file a change request under HLC policy INST.G.10.010 Substantive Change. As a part of the review under HLC policy, HLC will review the appropriateness of inclusion of the proposed component in the accreditation of the institution using the characteristics cited above. 

An accredited or candidate institution seeking to have an existing entity that is not currently included as a component in the institution’s status deemed a component of the institution must request approval under HLC’s policy regarding Change of Control, Structure or Organization. 

Process for HLC Consideration of Separate Status for a Component. A component of an institution holding status with HLC that is seeking separate status must establish that it meets the separately accreditable characteristics outlined in HLC policy and must demonstrate that it meets the Eligibility Requirements through HLC’s Eligibility Process. If the Eligibility Panel determines that the component is separately accreditable and appears to meet the Eligibility Requirements, HLC will set a visit for candidacy for the component.  

Components of Institutions Holding Status With Accreditors Other Than HLC. A component of an institution holding status with an institutional accreditor other than HLC that wishes to seek accreditation with HLC must demonstrate that it is able to function independent of any operational control of the related college or university. A component will be deemed operationally independent and accreditable when it demonstrates the characteristics listed in INST.B.10.020. 

A component identified as separately accreditable will continue to be included in the accreditation of the related college or university until it achieves HLC accreditation. 

Policy History

Last Revised: June 2023 
First Adopted: January 1983, June 2000 
Revision History: June 2000, revised June 2009, November 2020, June 2021, June 2023 
Notes: Former Policy number: 3.4(b). Also combined with the following policies November 2012: 3.4, 3.4(a). In February 2021, references to the Higher Learning Commission as “the Commission” were replaced with the term “HLC.”