Accrediting Agencies Reporting Activities for Institutions and Programs - Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institution and Programs (DAPIP)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)

Database of Accredited Postsecondary
Institution and Programs:
Collection System User Guide
July 2018

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Table of Contents
1

2

3

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3

1.1

Types of Accreditation ................................................................................................................ 4

1.2

Types of Institution/Sites ........................................................................................................... 4

1.3

Types of Programs....................................................................................................................... 5

Getting Started ..................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1

Helpful Hints and Tips ............................................................................................................... 5

2.2

Login and Register ...................................................................................................................... 6

2.3

User Types ................................................................................................................................... 9

2.4

Menu............................................................................................................................................. 9

2.5

Dashboard .................................................................................................................................. 11

2.5.1

Activity Log ............................................................................................................................ 12

2.5.2

Interrupted Tasks .................................................................................................................. 12

Agency Tools ..................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1

Edit Agency Information ...................................................................................................... 13

3.2

Agency Actions ...................................................................................................................... 14

3.3

Registration ............................................................................................................................ 15

3.4
4

5

Manage Additional Users ......................................................................................................... 16

Add New Institution/Sites ............................................................................................................... 18
4.1

Add New Main Institution/Site ............................................................................................... 18

4.2

Add New Additional Location.................................................................................................. 19

4.3

Edit Institution/Site Information ............................................................................................ 20

Manage Accreditations ..................................................................................................................... 21
5.1

Search for an Institution/Site ................................................................................................... 22

5.1.1

Simple Search......................................................................................................................... 22

5.1.2

Advanced Search.................................................................................................................... 22

5.2

Search result ............................................................................................................................... 23

5.3

Add New Accreditation ............................................................................................................. 25

5.4

Modify Accreditation................................................................................................................. 28

5.5

Apply Parent Accreditation ....................................................................................................... 32

Table of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... 34

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1 Introduction
In the United States, institutions of higher education are permitted to operate with considerable
independence and autonomy. The United States has no Ministry of Education or other centralized
federal authority exercising control over the quality of postsecondary educational institutions, and
the states assume varying degrees of control over education. As a consequence, American
educational institutions can vary widely in the character and quality of their programs. To ensure a
basic level of quality, the practice of accreditation arose in the United States as a means of
conducting non- governmental, peer evaluation of educational institutions and programs.
A college, university, or other institution of higher education seeking accreditation status must
complete several primary steps in the accreditation process. Each of these primary steps is
designated by the particular accreditation organization from which the institution is seeking
accreditation status. The institution must first prepare materials that demonstrate the institution's
accomplishments and exhibit the level of quality of the areas of operation that are under scrutiny.
Next, the institution undergoes a peer review of the prepared materials. Finally, action is taken by
the accreditation organization to determine whether accreditation will be granted to the institution.
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) does not accredit educational institutions and/or
programs. However, the Department provides oversight over the postsecondary accreditation
system through its monitoring and periodic review of all federally-recognized accrediting agencies.
The Department holds accrediting agencies accountable by ensuring that they enforce their
accreditation standards effectively. Also, as a part of the Department’s oversight roles, the Secretary
of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies that the
Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education or training provided by
the institutions of higher education and the higher education programs they accredit.
In order to be recognized by the Secretary, all accrediting agencies undergo an initial evaluation
process and periodic reevaluation reviews. After an agency is approved for recognition, the
Department will identify the areas for which an agency is recognized and document its recognition
of those areas in a Scope of Recognition Statement. These statements are posted online, along with
other information about the accreditation process at the Accreditation in the United States website
at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
The Department’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) has subsequently made information
about accreditors, as well as information about accredited institutions and programs, available to the
public through the online Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs at
http://ope.ed.gov/dapip/ . The public site is compiled from public information submitted to the
Department by recognized accrediting agencies and state approval agencies. This information is
collected and maintained in the Department’s web-based Database of Accredited Postsecondary
Institutions and Programs: Collection System at https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/dapip/ . This
information is used for a variety of purposes, but most notably it is used by employers to ensure that
job applicants obtained their education from an accredited institution or program.

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1.1 Types of Accreditation
There are two basic types of educational accreditation, one referred to as "institutional" and the
other referred to as "specialized" or "programmatic."
Institutional Accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of an
institution’s parts is contributing to the achievement of the institution’s objectives, although not
necessarily all at the same level of quality. Regional and national accreditors perform institutional
accreditation.

Specialized or Programmatic Accreditation normally applies to the evaluation of
programs, departments, or schools which usually are parts of a total collegiate or other postsecondary
institution. The unit accredited may be as large as a college or school within a university or as small
as a curriculum within a discipline. Most of the specialized accrediting agencies review units within a
postsecondary institution which is accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions.
However, certain of the specialized accrediting agencies accredit professional schools and other
specialized or vocational or other postsecondary institutions which are free-standing in their
operations. Thus, a "specialized" or "programmatic" accrediting agency may also function in the
capacity of an "institutional" accrediting agency. In addition, a number of specialized accrediting
agencies accredit educational programs within non-educational settings, such as hospitals.

Internship/Residency Accreditation is a subset of the Specialized or Programmatic
Accreditation that applies to the evaluation of internship or residency programs.


1.2 Types of Institution/Sites
There are two basic types of institutions found within the database:
 Institution: An Institution of Higher Education (IHE) which has as its sole purpose, or one
of its primary missions, the provision of postsecondary education. Parent Institution refers to the
main campus of an Institution that has one or more branch campuses.

Site: Any non-IHE setting (e.g. hospital, research center, social services agency, etc.) in which
accredited educational programs – internships, residencies and specialized programs–are
administered.



Each institution may also have one or more additional campuses or additional Institution/Sites
affiliated with it, as defined below:
Additional Location: A branch Institution/Site of an institution that is not temporary, is
located in a community beyond a reasonable commuting distance from its Parent Institution and
offers full programs of study – meaning that 50 percent or more of the coursework required for one
or more degrees can be completed at this Institution/Site. Campuses can inherit the accreditation
of the Parent Institution and can also obtain additional accreditations for programs at that
Institution/Site. Moreover, it includes any additional facilities geographically separate from an
institution or campus, where courses are offered that are part of an organized program at the
institution or campus, but less than 50 percent of the required coursework for one or more degrees
can be completed at this Institution/Site. Additional Institution/Sites are accredited through the
accreditation of the parent institution or campus they are affiliated with. They cannot obtain their
own separate accreditation. (Campuses are considered additional location).


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1.3 Types of Programs
“Program” refers to a postsecondary educational program offered by an institution of higher
education that leads to an academic or professional degree, certificate, or other recognized
educational credential. The specialized program types are listed and defined below:
 Specialized Program: A Specialized Program is an accredited program offered to remove
strictly by IHEs and that lead to an academic or professional degree, certificate, or other
recognized educational credential.

NOTE: This type of accreditation may be granted to institutions or campuses only.
Accreditation of this type may not be granted to sites.
Internship: An internship is the supervised practical training of advanced students, or
recent graduates, in areas such as medicine, psychology, or dietetics. This option applies to the
accreditation of qualified internships, including Predoctoral Internships in Pediatric Dentistry
or internship programs in Nurse-Midwifery.


Residency: A residency is the specialized, clinical training of physicians, where recent
graduates practice medicine under the supervision of fully licensed medical professionals,
usually in a hospital or clinic. This option applies to programs for the accreditation of qualified
residency programs, such as Postdoctoral residencies in Optometry or Podiatry.


2 Getting Started
The following information is provided to assist users in performing basic tasks in the Database of
Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System including user types,
logging in, registering, navigating the system, and helpful hints and tips

2.1 Helpful Hints and Tips
•
•
•
•
•

•

The Accredited Schools List Help Desk is available to assist with technical issues and can be
reached at 855-831-9922 or dapip@inovas.net.
A glossary is available under the Help menu. You can search by term to find the definition
of a keyword, or by definition to find terms with the keyword included in the definition.
System and Accreditation FAQs are available under the Help menu.
For changes to your agency’s scope of recognition or for questions about compliance, please
contact your Accreditation Group analyst. This would include requests to add a new degree
level or program.
Any information except the “Confidential Action” entered into the Database of Accredited
Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System is subject to public display
on the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs website at
https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/.
A decision letter is required to be posted by the agency who serves as Title IV gatekeeper for the
institution that is placed on probation or equivalent status, or a more severe action, or a status
that results in loss of accreditation. At a minimum, the document for a summary of any such
action to an institution or program is required by all other agencies. The document for a decision
letter or summary is optional for any other reported accreditation action. An 'Upload
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•

Documentation' function is now available to upload the decision letter. Read more in section 5.4
Modify Accreditation.
Agency submissions under 34 CFR 602.30 and 602.31 should be submitted to the
Department’s Accreditation Group at https://opeweb.ed.gov/aslweb/, or directly to the
Accreditation Group analyst if so requested (for purposes of complaints against the
agency, etc.).
Materials and actions that are neither required to be made public nor appropriate for public
posting should be submitted to the Department through the following email addresses:
CaseTeams@ed.gov and AslRecordsManager@ed.gov.
Also, the new Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs:
Collection System is designed to allow agencies to report agency actions directly under the
sections of the regulation listed below:
1. 34 CFR 602.27(a)(1) – 602.27(a)(7)
Including agency annual reports, directory, annual data summary, proposed/ notification of
changes in policies and standards; reporting of fraud, abuse, and compliance with Title IV
responsibilities, etc.
2. 34 CFR 602.19(e) and 34 CFR 602.28(c)
Including reporting of drastic increase in enrollment in distant education program at an
institution accredited by an agency that had previously notified the Department of a change in
scope.

2.2 Login and Register

To access the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection
System home page, browse to https://surveys.ope.ed.gov/dapip . After entering the User ID and
Password to log in, click the Log In button.
NOTE: Your User ID and Password will be provided to you in an email from the Accredited
Schools List Help Desk. If you have not received this email or need assistance, please contact the
Accredited Schools List Help Desk at 855-831-9922 or dapip@inovas.net.

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Figure 1 Login Page

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Upon initial login, you will be asked to change your password. Once a new password has been
entered and confirmed, click Reset Password.
NOTE: The system will automatically log off after changing the password, therefore, users will
need to log back in to complete registration and agency related information.
Figure 2 Change Password

The

icon refers to password rules and they are as follow:

•

Must be between 8 and 14 characters long

•

Must contain at least one upper case character (A, B, C ...)

•

Must contain at least one lower case character (a, b, c...)

•

Must contain at least one numeric character (1, 2, 3 ...)

•

Must contain at least one special character (!, @, #, $, %, ^, & or *)

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2.3 User Types
As of July 2018, the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs:
Collection System will have different user types with permissions as shown in the table below:
USERS
Functions

Agency
Agency,
Agency,
Main
Proxy

View Only
Restricted ED
(FSA)

Manage
Institutions/Sites and
Accreditations
Manage Additional
Users
Agency Information
Confidential Actions

Can Edit

Can Edit

View Only

Yes

No

Edit
Add
View
Own
No

Edit
Add
View
Own
No

Reports

ED

Admin
ED Manager

No

Edit with
Historical
Permissions
No

Edit with
Historical
Permissions
No

View Only
View

Can Edit
View

Can Edit
View

Yes

Yes

Yes

NOTE: Each user will view a different screen with different permissions as shown in section 2.4
Menu.

2.4 Menu
Upon successful log in, the Main Menu is displayed on the left side of the screen. As its name
implies, this menu contains links and navigation controls to all other parts of the system. Select the
desired menu option to view a list of available tasks.
NOTE: As mentioned in section 2.3 User Types, the figures below show the different screens that
each user type will see.
Figure 3 Agency Main Menu

Agency Main users will have the
ability to do the following:
•

•
•

Edit Manage
Institutions/Sites and
Accreditations
Manage Additional Users
Edit Agency Information

NOTE: Agency main users will
NOT have access to Reports page.

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Figure 4 Agency Proxy Menu

Agency Proxy users will have the
ability to do the following:
•

•

Edit Manage
Institutions/Sites and
Accreditations
Edit Agency Information

NOTE: Agency main users will
NOT have access to Reports page
and Managing Additional Users.

Figure 5 Restricted ED (FSA) Menu

Restricted ED (FSA) users will have
the ability to do the following:
•
•
•

View Institutions and
Accreditations
View Agency Information
Access Reports Page

NOTE: Restricted ED (FSA) will
NOT have access to Manage
Additional Users.
Figure 6 ED/ ED Manager Menu

Both ED and ED Manager users will
have the ability to do the following:
•

•
•

Edit Manage Institutions/Sites
and Accreditations with
Historical Permissions
View/edit Agency Information
Access Reports Page

NOTE: ED/ ED Manager will NOT
have access to Manage Additional
Users.

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Figure 7 User Reference

On the top right-hand corner there will be user reference pages such as edit profile, change
password and log out. Follow the instructions in section 3.2 Registration to update your
registration.

2.5 Dashboard
In addition to the user reference options, the dashboard will be the point of access to select a task
from the menu or search for a Institution/Site in the search box or by using the Advanced Search.
More will be described in section 5 Manage Accreditations.
Figure 8 Dashboard

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2.5.1

Activity Log

The Dashboard will contain the “Activity Log” box as it will show activity for users under purview
(i.e. own activity, proxy user activity if main agency user) Displays user name, institution name,
change, and screen, as well as the current status of the change. An example is shown in figure 9.
The three main statuses will be:
• Pending approval
• Change visible on public site (when it is approved and migrated)
• Rejected
Figure 9 Activity Log

2.5.2

Interrupted Tasks

The Dashboard will also contain the “Interrupted Tasks” box as it will show a list of user changes
that were not completed (only for person logged in). Moreover, it displays changes, screen, and last
updated information.
Interrupted Tasks Includes: 1) added school but did not add accreditation
Agencies may resume to open the draft or cancel to delete the draft from the system.
NOTE: If an Agency added an Institution/Site, accreditation information must be added.
Figure 10 Interrupted Tasks

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3 Agency Tools
In order to update your agency’s information, click on Update Agency Information from the main
menu. From this screen you can update your agency information and the request will be pending
approval by the helpdesk. You can also report agency actions. Follow the instructions in section 3.1
& 3.2 to learn how to update information or add actions.
NOTE: This screen is accessible by Agency main and Agency Proxy only.
Figure 11 Update Agency Information

3.1 Edit Agency Information
By clicking “Edit Agency Information” button on the right, you will be able to edit your Head of
Agency’s contact information (prior Agency information are not accessible to Agencies). Once your
changes are made, click Submit to continue or Cancel to delete changes.
NOTE: An alert message will pop-up to notify users that update agency information has been
successfully requested as shown in figure 12.
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Figure 12 Update Requested Alert

3.2 Agency Actions
In addition to “Edit Agency Information” button, “Add Action” button will be available and
accessible within Update Agency Information page. Figure 13 shows the available actions for
agencies to add.
Add Action:
•
•
•

A drop-down list includes the available actions to select from. This selection is required.
Upload document feature. This selection is required.
Add comments. This field is optional.
Figure 13 Add Action (list of actions)

Once the action and document are added, click Add, then, you will be able to find your action under
“+Agency Actions” tab at the bottom of the page.

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NOTE: 1) Actions added in this section do not require an approval, users may refresh the page to
see added actions 2) Agency actions are not migrated to the public website and are not visible to the
public.
3.3 Registration
As mentioned in section 2.2 Login and Register, upon initial login and after resetting the
password, you will be asked to Register. On this screen, enter the name, address, and contact
information for the person primarily responsible for the information found in this system.
Figure 14 Complete Registration

Once all changes are made, click Submit to save your changes.
In order to update the contact information or change password for the person primarily responsible
for the information found in this system, click View/Edit Profile on the top right of the screen and
select the needed service. From the Edit Profile screen, the name, address, and contact information
can be updated.
Figure 15 View/Edit Profile

15

Figure 16 Update Registration

Once all changes are made, click Update Information to save your changes.

3.4 Manage Additional Users
As described in section 2.3 User Types, the Agency Main is the only user who will have the access
to add new additional users and manage existing additional users (You can assign up to three
additional users slots to your representatives). At any time, you can click on icon to view, update,
activate, deactivate or assign additional user.
Figure 17 Manage Additional Users

To add New Additional User: click on Assign and follow the steps in figure 18.
16

Figure 18 Add New Additional User

Once all fields are completed, click Submit to add the new additional user or Cancel to go back to
User & Password Maintenance screen. Once a proxy user is assigned, and ID and password will be
emailed to the user and must follow registration steps as mentioned in section 3.3 Registration.
To manage an Existing Additional User: click on Deactivate to either: 1) Reactivate the same
proxy user or 2) Reassign to update the contact information to another proxy user.
NOTE: Editing, resetting password, etc. done through user maintenance/help desk.
Figure 19 Manage Existing Additional User

Figure 19 shows the two options to Reactivate and Reassign the additional user.

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4 Add New Institution/Sites
To add new main Institution/Site, click on Add New Institution/Site from the main menu and
enter the information for the new Institution/Site by completing few steps to verify that the
Institution/Site is not already in the DAPIP system. The fields that are available for adding the new
Institution/Site are: name, OPE ID, IPEDS Unit ID and other information. Click Continue to
complete this step, Cancel, or, Clear All to start over (Request status will be shown in the Activity
Log window on the DASHBOARD).
NOTE: Only Agency main, Proxy users and ED/ED Managers can add a new Institution/Site.
Figure 20 Add New Institution/Site

4.1 Add New Main Institution/Site
After completing the steps in section 4 Add New Institution/Sites, if the Institution/Site that was
added is already in the DAPIP system, you will see a “Possible duplicates found” message with
similar results. As shown in figure 21, if you think that the Institution/Site created is already in the
system, click on the correct Institution/Site from the suggested list and if you need to edit the
information, click on “Edit Submission”. To continue with adding the Institution/Site information
click on “Continue with Submission”.
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NOTE: If a new Institution/Site is added, accreditation information must be added and will be
shown in interrupted tasks window on the DASHBOARD as described in section 2.5.2
Interrupted Tasks.
Figure 21 Duplicate Results

4.2 Add New Additional Location
To add a new additional Location, search for the existing Institution/Site from the DASHBOARD
by either using the simple search or advanced search. Once you select the desired Institution/Site,
choose the “Additional Location” tab and click on “+Add New Additional Location” button as
shown in figure 22, then complete the fields as shown in figure 23.
Figure 22 Add New Additional Location

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Figure 23 Additional Location

NOTE: Adding a new additional Location feature is accessible by all users except for Restricted ED
(FSA) users.
Figure 24 Filter

You can also use the Filter button and search by name, DAPIP ID, OPE ID, and other information
to refine your search. Once finished, click on Apply Filter to continue or Clear All to start over.

4.3 Edit Institution/Site Information

In the Institution/Site page, you can update the information for an existing Institution/Site by
clicking on “Edit Information” on the right. After that, and as shown in figure 25, update the fields
you wish to change and click on Submit to continue with the request or Cancel to delete changes
and to go back to Institution/Site page.

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Figure 25 Edit Institution/Site Information

After submitting changes, request status will be shown in the Activity Log window on the
DASHBOARD.
NOTE: Editing Institution/Site information is accessible by all users except for Restricted ED
(FSA) users.

5 Manage Accreditations
The first step in completing most tasks in the Database of Accredited Postsecondary
Institutions and Programs: Collection System – from viewing an Institution/Site’s accreditation
history to inserting a new Institution/Site – is searching for the Institution/Site or site whose
records you want to view and/or modify.
You can access the search option at any time by going to the DASHBOARD in the main menu,
and you will be able to use either the Search box or the Advanced Search.

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5.1 Search for an Institution/Site
To Search for an Institution, Additional Location or Site, start by using the simple search method as
explained in section 5.1.1 Simple Search, or, for a more precise search, use the Advanced search as
explained in section 5.1.2 Advanced Search.
5.1.1

Simple Search

From the DASHBOARD in the main menu, the simple search box will allow you to search by the
Name, DAPIP ID or OPE ID of an accredited Institution/Site.
Figure 26 Dashboard

5.1.2

Advanced Search

For more assistance in the search criteria and to find a specific Institution, additional Location
or site, you can click on the “Advanced Search” box which can be accessed from the Dashboard
and you will be transferred to a new screen that will have options to fill in to help in the search
process.
NOTE: Restricted ED (FSA) and ED/ ED Manager will have more fields on the Advanced Search
screen such as: agency, agency code, FSA region ID and IPEDS Unit ID 1. Furthermore, they will
NOT have access to the check box “Include Only Institutions Accredited by Your Agency”.

1 The IPEDS Unit ID is assigned by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS); whereas the accreditation
system’s Unit ID is a unique institution/campus/site identifier that is only used in this system

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Figure 27 Advanced Search

Once the needed fields are filled in, click Search to view the results, or, Clear All to start over.

5.2 Search result
The system will display a list of main Institution, Sites or additional Location, where available, that
match the specified search criteria. Institution/Site Name (OPE ID), DAPIP ID, Type, Address,
City and State as shown in figure 28. Additionally, the OPE ID is displayed alongside the Institution
Name, where available.
NOTE: The OPE ID is assigned by the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) and used by
Federal Student Aid (FSA).

23

Figure 28 Example Search Result

Click on the Institution/Site name to view more information.
If the desired institution cannot be found, use one of the following methods:
•

Advanced Search: Choose the advanced search from the DASHBOARD to search again
using different criteria, to learn more, view section 5.1.2 Advanced Search.

•

Sort Results: By default, Search Results will be shown in alphabetical order by Parent
Institution. You can sort your list of Search Results based on the Institution Name,
Address, City, State or Accreditation. To do so, click on the corresponding column
heading to sort the results. For example, you might click on the City column heading to
view the resulting institutions in alphabetical order according to the city in which the
institution is located. You can click on a column heading multiple times to toggle the view
between ascending and descending order.
24

Additionally, the icon might appear next to some Institution/Sites and by clicking on it, it will
open a pop-up window containing a history of any changes made to that institution’s name or
address along with the change date as shown in figure 29.
Figure 29 Institution H istory Information

5.3 Add New Accreditation
The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System

serves as the primary means by which the Department of Education compiles and maintains
information related to the accreditation of postsecondary institutions and programs in the United
States.
Users can insert accreditation for a relevant Institution/Site, additional location or modify an
Institution/Site’s existing accreditation status, where applicable. Once an Institution/Site or
educational program is accredited, the accrediting agency will continue to monitor and re-evaluate it
throughout the period of accreditation to verify that it continues to meet the agency’s standards.
NOTE: If a request was made in error or requires a change, please contact the DAPIP Help Desk
at 855-831-9922 or dapip@inovas.net as soon as possible. Once a request is approved and migrated,
it will appear on the public website. The process takes 1-2 days unless a specific request is made to
the DAPIP Help Desk. No additional communication will take place after migration.
As described in section 4.1 Add New Main Institution/Site, agencies are required to add
accreditation information if a new Institution/Site was added.
NOTE: ED/ED Managers have permissions to add accreditation records on behalf of agencies.
To add an accreditation for an institution/campus/site in the Database of Accredited
Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Select the Institution, Additional Location or Site
Start by searching for the Institution/Site, additional Location of interest, as described in section 5.1
Search for a Institution/Site.
Step 3: Insert New Accreditation
To Add a New Accreditation for the Institution/Site previously created, click on “+Add New
Accreditation” and complete the fields shown in figure 30.
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Figure 30 Add New Accreditation

Available fields for adding institutional accreditations are outlined below:
Add Institutional Accreditation:
•
•
•

•

Institutional Accrediting Agency: The agency name is displayed.
Select Accredited Status: A drop-down list includes Pre-accredited, Accredited, and
Denied Accreditation. This selection is required.
Enter Accreditation Start Date: The accredited date is required and should be entered in
MM/DD/YYYY format. You must also select whether the date is Actual or Estimated.
NOTE: If you have marked the Accredited Date as Estimated, it will be displayed with an
asterisk (*) in front of it.
Enter Next Review Date: The date the accreditation will next be reviewed is required and
should be entered in MM/DD/YYYY format. This date should be in the future.

NOTE: For all users excluding ED/ED Managers, the “Next Review Date” field MUST be in
the future.

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Figure 31 Apply to Additional Location

You will also have the option to apply the New Accreditation Information to an existing Additional
Location by clicking on “Apply to Additional Location” before the Submit button as shown in
figure 31. Then, the system will show you a screen with list of available additional Location and you
can click on the location name then click Submit to apply the new accreditation information to the
selected Additional Location.
Figure 32 Select Additional Locations

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Once you are ready to add the new accreditation, click on Submit to save all entries and add the
accreditation for the selected Institution/Site accordingly, or Cancel to delete all entries (Request
status will be shown in the Activity Log window on the DASHBOARD).
Figure 33 List of Agencies

NOTE: ED/ED Manager users are able to add accreditation by having an additional filed to select
an “Agency of accreditation”.
When you are finished, you can use the Main Menu to navigate to a different task in the Database
of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System; or, if you are
finished using the system, click on Logout in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to end your
current session.

5.4 Modify Accreditation
All users except for Restricted ED (FSA) users are allowed to modify the accreditation added.
The process for updating an accreditation is the same whether you are upating an institutional
accreditation, specialized accreditation, or internship/residency specialized accreditation. The
additional field to select a program will be present. Features like “Apply to Additional Location” and
“Apply Parent Accreditations” are not avaliable for Specialized/Intership/Residency accreditations.
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To Modify an existing accredititaion, click on “Modify Existing Accreditation” button to view the
corresponding update accreditation screen and provide the required information.
NOTE: All actions except confidential are migrated to the public site.
Figure 34 Modify Existing Accreditation

Available fields for modifying institutional accreditations are outlined below:
Modifying Institutional Accreditations
•
•
•
•

Institutional Accrediting Agency: The agency name is displayed.
The Accreditation Status: The current status is displayed but may update based on the
Current Action selected.
The Accredited Date: The accredited date displayed along with whether it is the actual or
estimated date.
Select Current Action: A drop-down list of current actions is provided. This selection is
required.

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Figure 35 Modify Accreditation- Current Action

Figure 36 Modify Accreditation- Current Action “CONTINUED”

•

Enter the Date of Current Action: The date the Current Action took place is required and
should be entered in MM/DD/YYYY format.
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•

Select Justification for Action: A drop-down list of justifications is provided. This
selection is required.
Figure 37 Justification for Action

•
•

Other Justification: To provide an unlisted or multiple justifications.
Upload Documentation: Add required document.

You will also have the option to apply the New Accreditation Information to an existing additional
Location by clicking on “Apply to Additional Location” before the Submit button (That this will
be true if selected Additional Location has the same initial accreditation as parent).
Once you are ready to submit the changes, click on Submit to save all entries and make changes for
the selected Institution/Site accordingly, or Cancel to delete all entries (Request status will be
shown in the Activity Log window on the DASHBOARD).
NOTE: A decision letter is required to be posted by the agency who serves as Title IV gatekeeper
for the institution that is placed on probation or equivalent status, or a more severe action, or a
status that results in loss of accreditation. At a minimum, the document for a summary of any such
action to an institution or program is required by all other agencies. The document for a decision
letter or summary is optional for any other reported accreditation action.
When you are finished, you can use the Main Menu to navigate to a different task in the Database
of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System; or, if you are
finished using the system, click Logout in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to end your
current session.
NOTE: Agency Main and proxy users can only see their own confidential actions while FSA and
ED/ED Managers can view all user’s actions.

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5.5 Apply Parent Accreditation
For every new Additional Location, an institutional agency can apply accreditation for that
Institution/Site by clicking on “Apply Parent Accreditation” from the selected Institution/Site
page.
Figure 38 Apply Parent Accreditation

Available fields for applying parent accreditations are outlined and showed in figure 37 below:
Apply Parent Accreditations for An Additional Locatin:
•
•
•
•

Existing Accredition: The agency name is displayed.
The Accreditation Status: This fields is preloaded and cannot not be updated
Enter Accreditation Start Date: The accredited is preloaded from the parent accreditation
record and cannot be updated
Enter Next Review Date: The date the accreditation is preloaded and cannot be changed

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Figure 39 Apply Parent Accreditation fields

This step will load all of the accreditation record data from the main Institution/Site's accreditation
record.
NOTE: Agencies can modify the dates to match the opening date of the additional Location, if they
maintain those records.
Once you are ready to submit the changes, click on Submit to save all entries and apply
accreditation accordingly, or Cancel to delete all entries (Request status will be shown in the
Activity Log window on the DASHBOARD).
When you are finished, you can use the Main Menu to navigate to a different task in the Database
of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs: Collection System; or, if you are
finished using the system, click Logout in the upper right-hand corner of the screen to end your
current session.

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Table of Figures
Figure 1 Login Page ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 2 Change Password .......................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 3 Agency Main Menu ...................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 4 Agency Proxy Menu .................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 5 Restricted ED (FSA) Menu......................................................................................................... 10
Figure 6 ED/ ED Manager Menu ............................................................................................................ 10
Figure 7 User Reference............................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 8 Dashboard .................................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 9 Activity Log .................................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 10 Interrupted Tasks ...................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 11 Update Agency Information ..................................................................................................... 13
Figure 12 Update Requested Alert ............................................................................................................ 14
Figure 13 Add Action (list of actions) ....................................................................................................... 14
Figure 14 Complete Registration .............................................................................................................. 15
Figure 15 View/Edit Profile ...................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 16 Update Registration .................................................................................................................. 16
Figure 17 Manage Additional Users ......................................................................................................... 16
Figure 18 Add New Additional User ......................................................................................................... 17
Figure 19 Manage Existing Additional User ............................................................................................ 17
Figure 20 Add New Institution/Site ......................................................................................................... 18
Figure 21 Duplicate Results ...................................................................................................................... 19
Figure 22 Add New Additional Location.................................................................................................. 19
Figure 23 Additional Locations Fields ...................................................................................................... 20
Figure 24 Filter ........................................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 25 Edit Institution/Site Information ............................................................................................ 21
Figure 26 Dashboard .................................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 27 Advanced Search........................................................................................................................ 23
Figure 28 Example Search Result ............................................................................................................. 24
Figure 29 Institution History Information ............................................................................................... 25
Figure 30 Add New Accreditation ............................................................................................................. 26
Figure 31 Apply to Additional Location.................................................................................................... 27
Figure 32 Select Additional Locations ...................................................................................................... 27
Figure 33 List of Agencies ......................................................................................................................... 28
Figure 34 Modify Existing Accreditation ................................................................................................. 29
Figure 35 Modify Accreditation- Current Action ..................................................................................... 30
Figure 36 Modify Accreditation- Current Action “CONTINUED” ...................................................... 30
Figure 37 Justification for Action .............................................................................................................. 31
Figure 38 Apply Parent Accreditation ....................................................................................................... 32
Figure 39 Apply Parent Accreditation fields ............................................................................................. 33

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