FAQs

Accreditation is considered to be voluntary. In the US, accreditation is required in order to be certified by the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitors Program (SEVP). SEVP certification allows schools to admit international students to study English. Requirements for university/college programs and independent language schools are different.

Independent language schools inside the U.S. must be accredited if they seek to recruit and enroll international students who need a student visa to study (F-1 students). CEA and ACCET (the Accrediting Council for Continuing Accreditation Training) both accredit independent language schools.

University and college programs typically reside within a larger institution. In order for those programs to seek CEA accreditation, the larger institution itself must be accredited by a USDE-recognized accreditor. Depending on the institutional accreditor or state in which the program is located, when the English language program falls within the umbrella of the accreditation of the larger institution, the program is not required to have CEA accreditation to enroll international students on student visas. However, many such programs choose to seek accreditation from CEA for several reasons, such as demonstrating their quality, fulfilling a requirement for enrolling sponsored students, or complying with a state requirement to do so.

This is a common question when a site first considers offering an intensive English program for international students. Sites may start by offering the intensive program to adult immigrants or local residents or to the spouses of international students or business people. Then once the program is stable, the site is ready to seek accreditation.

First, a program has to submit an application form and show that it meets CEA's eligibility requirements. Next, a representative from your program must attend an accreditation workshop. These are held regularly, either in person or virtually.

At the workshop, you learn about the process of self-study and how to complete and submit the self-study report. Within 2 months of attending the workshop, you must submit a plan for how you will carry out the self-study. The self-study report is usually submitted within 18 months after the workshop and requires the applicant to show compliance with the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. After the self-study is submitted and approved, CEA-trained peer reviewers read your self-study and conduct a 3-day site visit. Then there is an accreditation decision by a Commission that reviews their report, your response, and your self-study to make an accreditation decision.

The 13-member Commission makes accreditation decisions and is also responsible for governing CEA. Of these, 11 elected members come from the field of postsecondary English language teaching and administration and represent the various types of programs and institutions that CEA accredits. They have a depth of experience in higher education and in the administration of intensive English programs. Two public members, who are not from the field of English language teaching or administration (as required by the US Department of Education) are appointed by the Commission.

The complete process takes about 2 years, depending upon when you start the process in relation to scheduled accreditation workshops and Commission meetings. It also depends on how long it takes you to complete the self-study.

There are fees for various steps in the process: an eligibility fee, a workshop fee, a fee for submission of the plan for the self-study, and a fee for the on-site site visit. Fees are the same for all sites, no matter what size they are. Once accreditation is granted, however, accreditation fees (paid at the time of the Commission's decision) and sustaining fees (due each year throughout the period of accreditation) are based on student weeks and thus vary from site to site. The CEA fee schedule explains the fees.

Full accreditation is granted for a 5-year period. The Commission may also grant one-year accreditation to programs that have substantially met the standards but have minor standards-related deficiencies. Once the deficiencies are met, the grant of accreditation is continued for 4 years. The grant of accreditation is just the first step in the relationship between accredited sites and CEA.

Sometimes when it grants accreditation, the Commission requires additional reporting or annual follow-up in a particular standard area. Also, accredited programs and institutions may report substantive changes and must submit an annual report throughout the period of accreditation, which affirms continued compliance with the CEA standards. Then about 2 years prior to the end of the initial accreditation period, CEA reminds sites that they need to begin the reaccreditation process. The process is similar to the process for initial accreditation, including a self-study and site visit by a review team. Reaccreditation may be granted for one year to programs and institutions that substantially meet the standards but have minor standards-related deficiencies for 10 years to programs and institutions that comply with the CEA standards.

Accredited programs and institutions become members of the CEA Constituent Council. They have an opportunity to nominate and elect new Commissioners and to attend an annual meeting of the Council. This meeting is held virtually, and the date is announced to all members in advance.  Because CEA is not a membership association or professional organization, it does not usually host meetings for all accredited sites.

On September 10, 2003, CEA was granted recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accrediting agency. This recognition allows accredited freestanding English language institutions to establish eligibility to participate in the Department of Homeland Security's certification program, by which such institutions may admit international students (F-1 students). CEA's recognition also indicates that CEA meets U.S. federal requirements for postsecondary accrediting agencies.

Yes, CEA accredits postsecondary English language programs and institutions outside the United States. The policies and procedures are exactly the same as for locations within the United States, and the same CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions also apply. However, review teams and the Commission always take into consideration the local environment in which the program or institution is located.

The Commission meets three times a year to make accreditation decisions. You can see how many sites and programs are accredited at any time by going to the directory of Accredited Sites.

Yes. CEA accredits each eligible site separately, but the individual locations may work together to prepare coordinated applications and self-study reports. There are also some special policies and procedures that apply to multisite organizations. Contact CEA staff for specific information about your situation.

The steps of an accreditation review involve the process of self-study in which a site evaluates itself in relation to the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA provides a template, which consists of prompts aligned with the CEA Standards. Based on what is learned during each site’s self-study process, sites write responses to sets of questions for each standard. Those responses describe how the site meets a standard, a section in which the site gives documentary evidence of those practices, and a recommendation section, in which the site makes plans for future improvement, if necessary. 

Throughout the self-study process, sites may find that they need to make improvements in order to meet the standards, and this is an expected part of the self-study process. In other words, a site is expected to put changes into place throughout the process. However, if there are too many changes that need to be made in order to meet the standards, the site may not be ready to start the process and needs time to implement the new practices.

The following questions will help you to determine readiness:

1. Have you reviewed the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions, including reading the context, intent, discussion, and requirements of each standard, to make sure that you understand each standard?
2. Does your program or institution have a mission statement that clearly states the goals and objectives of the program or institution and guides activities and the allocation of resources?
3. Is there a written curriculum that includes goals and objectives for each course and level?
4. Is there a means in place to assess student learning outcomes in relation to the goals and objectives of the courses and are there achievement scales with expected student learning outcomes for each course and level?
5. Do faculty and staff receive written job descriptions, and are they provided with performance criteria on which they are evaluated?
   Are the needs of students met through the provision of student services including orientation and counseling services?
6. Do all materials used in marketing and recruitment accurately describe the program or institution?
7. Do you have mechanisms in place for review of your activities, including written plans for review of curriculum, student services, and student achievement practices, as well as a process for development of the overall site?
8. Is your program or institution in a strong enough financial position such that reserves are adequate to meet obligations to students, staff, and contractual parties?
9. Is your program or institution prepared to show through narrative and documentation that it substantially meets all the CEA standards?
10. Do you have adequate faculty and staff to complete a self-study, which requires a response to each individual standard, with documentary support?
11. Do you have the funds to commit resources to this activity?

If you can answer "yes" to most of these questions, you may be ready to start the accreditation process by downloading the CEA Application for Eligibility Form.