Ready to Apply
Instructional Letter for Schools Applying for Institutional Accreditation

(Revised December 2008)

Thank you for your interest in seeking institutional accreditation by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). ABHES is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accreditor of private, postsecondary institutions in the United States offering predominantly allied health education programs leading to a certificate, diploma, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Occupational Science, or Academic degree, including those offered via distance education. Please see Section on Basic Eligibility from the ABHES Manual for Allied Health Education Schools and Programs . If, after review of these requirements, you feel that your institution meets the criteria and is ready to apply for accreditation, please complete the Application for Accreditation and submit it along with the following required documents:

1)A current school catalog;

2)Completed Ownership Disclosure Form (privately held business, publicly held business, or sole proprietorship);

3)Appropriate application fee payment (separate fee for eachcampus location). Payment to be in the form of a check made payable to ABHES (see Application Fee Schedule).

APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

ALL APPLICANTS should submit completed application packets electronicallyvia e-mail to . This may require documents to be professionally scanned as a JPG, TIF, Microsoft-Compatible, or ADOBE PDF to ensure that all information is legible and organized for ease of an electronic review. If the documents are scanned in per page and consist of more than two pages, please combine them into one document. All documents must include the required signatures where applicable.

Application packets may also be submitted on CD Rom(mailed to the address below). When saving required documents, a separate document should be made and appropriately labeled and formatted as described above.

The total number of attachments (if e-mailed) or files (if using a CD Rom) is dependent on the application plus the number of exhibitsto accompany the application. Each attachment/file should be named according to its content (e.g., “Completed Application”, “signed Ownership Disclosure Form”, “Catalog”, etc.).

It is imperative that the application submission is properly labeled with the (1) institution’s name, (2) city/state, (3) ABHES ID #, if application, (4) Entitled “APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION”, and (5) the Date of submission.

The only hardcopy document required is a cover letter of intent and the application payment in the form of a check made payable to ABHES and mailed to the address below. Visit the ABHES website to view the currentFee Schedule at A separate fee applies to eachnon-main campus location for which you are seeking accreditation.

Instructional Letter

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ABHES

7777 Leesburg Pike, Suite 314N

Falls Church, Virginia 22043

After the required information has been reviewed, your institution will be informed of its status and visitation requirements. Should your institution appear to meet the eligibility requirements of ABHES, a Self-evaluation Report (SER) will be provided via e-mail(unless otherwise requested) for completion.

An institution will be required to submit an audited financial statement with submission of its completed SER. A grant of accreditation will be contingent upon receipt, review and approval of the audited statements. The audited financial statement must contain the elements included on the Initial Applicant Financial Review Sheet.

In addition, initial applicants are also required to attend an Accreditation Workshop. The individual(s) designated to attend the workshop should be directly involved in the accreditation and self-evaluation process (e.g., school director, director of education, etc.). See theWorkshop Registration Form for dates and times of upcoming workshops.

Institutional applicants are also required to undergo a staff-only preliminary visit (see Chapter II, Section A, Subsection 1 of the Manual), following attendance at the Accreditation Workshop, but prior to submitting theSER. This preliminary visit is conducted as a means of ensuring that the institution complies with all eligibility criteria and is in substantial compliance with ABHES standards. It is also a time for the institution to address any questions or concerns with staff in a consultative manner. There is no fee for this visit, although the costs for the visit will be borne by the institution. A staff member will contact you for scheduling such a visit.

For more details regarding the ABHES application process, see the Accreditation Processoutline. Please refer to the ABHES Annual Schedule of Events/Deadline Dates to note the next application deadline. Be sure to plan your time effectively.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact India Y. Tips, Director of Accreditation Services at or (703) 917-9503.