The academic institution is contacted for verification of the highest degree obtained or verification of the most significant academic event reported by the applicant, unless otherwise specified by the client. If you prefer, we will contact all academic institutions listed by the applicant. In addition, we will search the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database to check for accreditation.

"Accreditation" is a process of external quality review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities and educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement. In the United States, accreditation is carried out by private, non-profit organizations designed for this specific purpose. Institutions and educational programs seek accredited status as a means of demonstrating their academic quality to students and the public and to become eligible for federal funds.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation database contains contact information for over 7,000 degree-granting and non-degree granting institutions and over 17,000 programs accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both.

Some academic institutions charge a fee to access their records. These fees generally range from $2.50 to $20.00. For your convenience, we will itemize any additional fees, per applicant, on your invoice.