On Friday, August 7, Northland International University went before the Wisconsin State Higher Education Aids Board (HEAB) to solicit state education grants for its Wisconsin resident students. Last year the HEAB denied access to these funds stating that Northland was not accredited by the North Central Association, the regional accreditor for the state of Wisconsin. However, the Wisconsin state statute regulating educational grants notes that schools applying for state aid must be accredited by a “nationally recognized accrediting agency.” Northland International University is fully accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) which was established in 1971 to accredit “postsecondary institutions whose mission is characterized by a distinctly Christian purpose.” TRACS is recognized by both the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a national accrediting body for Christian institutions, colleges, universities, and seminaries. TRACS is also a member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).
The U.S. Department of Education states, “The standards and rules governing both regional and national accrediting agencies are identical, and institutions accredited by any [approved] regional or national accrediting agency are considered to be recognized higher education institutions within the U.S. education system.” The USDE list of “Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies” includes TRACS alongside the regional accreditors and notes that they are “recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as reliable authorities concerning the quality of education or training offered by the institutions of higher education or higher education programs they accredit.”
The above information was presented to the Wisconsin State HEAB in order to make the case that Northland does meet the criteria established by state law for its Wisconsin resident students to receive state financial aid. We believe we have a strong case, and we received a very cordial hearing from the members of the board. The board and HEAB staff is now researching our case and verifying our supporting documentation, and we look forward to their decision at the next board meeting. We are hopeful that for the 2010–2011 school year and following, state aid will be available to our Wisconsin students. Currently all Northland students are eligible for all available U.S. Department of Education Title IV programs such as the Pell Grant and Stafford Loan program.