Accreditation is a review process that determines whether educational programs meet defined standards of quality. Once obtained, accreditation is not permanent—it is renewed periodically to ensure that the quality of the educational program is maintained.

In the United Kingdom, academic accreditation is voluntary, decentralized, and conducted by a number of non-governmental, nonprofit organizations. The process of academic accreditation typically culminates in an external quality review by a team of professional experts from academia or industry. These experts volunteer their time, professional knowledge, and experience to this process of quality assurance and continuous improvement in education in their disciplines.

Whether a college, university, or program is accredited is important:

• Students who seek federal (and sometimes state) grants and loans must attend an accredited college, university, or program.
• Employers ask whether a college, university, or program is accredited before deciding to provide tuition assistance to existing employees, evaluate the credentials of new employees, or make charitable contributions.
• The federal government requires that a college, university, or program be accredited to be eligible for federal grants and loans or other federal funds.
• State governments require that a college, university, or program be accredited when they make state funds available to students or institutions and when they allow students to sit for state licensing exams in certain professional fields.