There are two types of accreditation that you need to look for when selecting a college: institutional accreditation and programmatic accreditation. If your school, and potentially your program, does not have the correct accreditation for your chosen career it could result in big problems later on. For example, you may not be able to get into a master's degree program, get licensed in your state, or get a job. You will also not be able to apply for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which may supply you with Pell Grant money (see FAFSA post) that can help you with your educational expenses (above and beyond your GI Bill housing stipend).
Accreditation is like quality control for your education. It supervises and guides colleges to assist in verifying that students are receiving a quality education. Institutional accreditation means that the entire school is accredited. Programmatic accreditation means that the program offered at the school, such as nursing or engineering, holds the appropriate accreditation. This means that you can be assured of gaining a quality degree, being eligible to sit for the accrediting test, and/or being able to get licensed by the state.
Institutional accreditation comes in two forms: regional or national. What do you need? Well, regional accreditation is for academic pathways that are traditional in nature such as education, criminal justice, and business. Think white collar. National accreditation is for more vocational in nature pathways such as electrician and welder. Think blue collar. Now, some schools that have national accreditation will offer degrees such as business, but these degrees really require that you attend an institution that holds regional accreditation.
Credits from a regionally accredited school are the most widely transferable. They can transfer to other regionally accredited institutions and oftentimes to nationally accredited institutions as well. However, credits from a nationally accredited school will not usually transfer to a regionally accredited institution. Plus, most vocational pathways can be found at regionally accredited state community colleges. Choosing this option protects your credits in the future, and it is usually safer.
Now, all credit transfer is always, ultimately up to the school that you are trying to transfer to. Checking with a transfer counselor from that school will give you the best information. Some schools/state systems even have course equivalency guides listed on their websites. Park University, which many active-duty service members attend, has an extensive list, and the California ASSIST site is a must-see for anyone attending college in Cali.
All state (sometimes called public) schools in the US have regional accreditation. Your reputable private, nonprofit institutions will as well. Nonprofit schools come in all shapes and sizes (see post on state versus private schools), for example, think high end and well know as Harvard and smaller, regionally well known as DePaul University (IL) or Park University (MO).
Now, don't think that you can complete a degree, such as an associate or a bachelor's degree, at a nationally accredited school then transfer to a regionally accredited school. For example, if you get a bachelor's degree from a nationally accredited institution, then want to attend a regionally accredited school for a master's degree program, most likely the school will look at you like you do not have a bachelor's degree at all. Also, if earn an associate degree at a nationally accredited school, most likely your credits won't transfer as it is the credits earned that transfer and not the associate degree.So, before deciding on the type of school to attend consider what you need for the education you are pursuing. Traditional educational prepares students to pursue associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Vocational education typically prepares students to earn certificates.
Vocational education is offered through vocational schools, career-technical schools, and community colleges, and prepare students to participate in more hands-on career fields that are typically technical in nature. Many of the nationally accredited vocational and career-technical schools offer students pathways to successful careers. So can the community colleges. Determining which one is best for you depends on your current and future educational and career needs. Programs offered at these schools are created to get you back into the workforce quickly and trains people with the skills they need.
The US has seven regional accrediting agencies. The accrediting agencies are based on the region the school is located in.
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools: http://www.msche.org/
New England Association of School and Colleges: https://cihe.neasc.org/
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools: http://www.hlcommission.org/
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities: http://www.nwccu.org/
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: http://www.acswasc.org/
WASC Senior College and University Commission: http://www.acswasc.org/
WASC Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges: https://accjc.org
To search for a school's accreditation use the College Navigator site. Input the school you are interest in attending or conduct a search (see post on College Navigator!). Click on the school's name, then scroll down to "Accreditation." Click on the tab. The school's accrediting agency will be listed. If it is regionally accredited you can compare it to the list of regional accrediting bodies above. If one of these sites is not listed then the school has national accreditation. You can also use the Department of Education (DoEd) site to check for a school's accreditation.
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