A I C C S
Accreditation Procedures

Procedure for AICCS Membership and Accreditation:

1. School official submits "Membership Application and Institutional Profile" along with the $200 annual fee.
    
2. If school is approved for membership, a Membership certificate is issued which is valid for one year.
    
3. Member schools will maintain that status so long as their annual reports are current and their annual fees are paid.
    
4. Schools which are not approved for membership will receive a full refund of their annual $200 fee.
    
5. Member schools only may apply as a "Candidate for Accreditation" by submitting the official form and paying a $200 fee; AICCS will issue a "Candidate for Accreditation" certificate which will be valid for six months.
    
6. AICCS will mail the Accreditation Guidelines Handbook to the candidate school, along with a Self-study Workbook and a detailed checklist of expectations and preparations to be completed before the on-site visit by the Accrediting Commission team from AICCS.
    
7. The school will schedule an on-site visit by the team of evaluators from AICCS within the 6-month period while this Candidate certificate is valid.
    
8. If the school is unprepared or unable to schedule an on-site visit within the first 6-month period, it may renew that Candidate certificate for up to three additional 6-month periods by paying the $200 renewal fee for each extension.
    
9. A school may hold Candidate status for no more than two years; if the school remains a Candidate for Accreditation for more than two years without scheduling an on-site visit, the school must wait one year before re-applying for Candidate status.
    
10. The school must pay the $1,000 accreditation fee when it schedules the on-site visit by the AICCS evaluation team.
     
11. The candidate school also must pay the round-trip travel, overnight lodging, and meal expenses for the 2-day visit by the accreditation team from St. Louis, Missouri. The total cost of expenses is estimated at less than $1,000, and must be paid within 30 days of the completion of the on-site visit.
     
12. Shortly after the on-site visit, the team will report to the Accrediting Commission of AICCS; this commission will evaluate the school's compliance with the accrediting criteria and vote to grant or deny accreditation.
     
13. If the vote is favorable, an "Accredited Member" certificate will be issued to the school, but only after all expenses of the on-site visit have been paid in full.
     
14. If the vote is not favorable, deficiencies will be noted, the school will be advised, and an extension of time of up to one year will be granted for the school to come into full compliance, with a one-time additional fee of $200 being charged.
     
15. Accreditation is valid for seven years, if annual fees are paid and annual reports are submitted; "Accredited Member" certificates will be issued each year, with the expiration date prominently noted. An AICCS-accredited school must schedule an on-site evaluation visit and be re-certified every seven years.
     
16. Annual Accreditation Fees (for schools to maintain that status) are: