Nursing schools are part of a college or university or, in some cases with practical nurse programs, part of a technical school. No matter what their affiliation, all nursing programs must be approved by the state agency that regulates higher education. Any nursing school that offers federal student loans or Pell grants also must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Most public colleges and universities are regionally accredited by one of six main accrediting agencies, depending on where the school is located. Technical colleges, trade schools and other for-profit schools typically are accredited by one of the national accrediting organizations. All accrediting agencies must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education. If you think you may complete or continue your nursing education at more than one school, consider that regionally accredited colleges and universities sometimes do not accept transfer credits from nationally accredited colleges or schools. The restrictions are imposed by the accrediting bodies, NOT by the Department of Education and often stem from a lack of understanding about the national accrediting approval process. One reason frequently cited for restricting the transfer of credits is that national accreditation doesn’t follow the same standards for ensuring campuses maintain qualified faculty library resources. Actually, both regional and national agencies are accredited by the Department of Education using the same standards. Information is available at: Accrediting Agencies in the United States and Information about Regional Accreditation...or you can visit www.fortis.edu. Dr. Anders has been funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for nursing education.
