Understanding the Relationship Between Accreditation and Endorsement
HLC has provided institutional accreditation to colleges and universities since 1895. In 2022, HLC expanded its quality assurance work beyond accreditation to build an endorsement for short-term credential content providers that create and/or deliver content or skills training that connects students to labor market needs. These providers often work either independently or in partnership with colleges and universities or employers, but they are not themselves colleges or universities.
What Is HLC’s Accreditation?
Accreditation is a system of evaluating a college or university to ensure it provides a quality education experience. There are two types of accreditation that colleges and universities frequently seek: institutional and programmatic.
HLC is an institutional accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. HLC’s scope of accreditation extends to “degree-granting institutions, including tribal institutions, and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education, correspondence courses, and direct assessment within these institutions.”
Institutional accreditors evaluate the college or university, including its educational programs, governance, operations and finances. When a college or university achieves institutional accreditation, that means it meets broad institutional quality standards.
What Is HLC’s Endorsement?
HLC’s Endorsement is a system of evaluating a short-term credential content provider to ensure it provides a quality education experience. HLC’s Endorsement evaluates the credential provider regarding their finances and operations, educational offerings, and student learning.
The Endorsement is not accreditation. Providers who receive the Endorsement do not hold any accreditation status with HLC.
Additionally, while the Endorsement can help employers, institutions, and learners to identify quality Providers who have met particular quality assurance standards, the Endorsement is not intended to verify or validate all aspects of a Provider or all claims that a Provider may make.
Employers, institutions, and learners are encouraged to fully research a Provider and its offerings prior to engaging with that Provider. HLC is not responsible for any loss or damage that is the result of any action that an entity or individual may take with respect to a Provider.
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