Substantive Change
In accordance with federal regulations and the Commission’s Substantive Change Policy and Substantive Change Procedures, member institutions must submit a substantive change request to the Commission for approval prior to implementation for certain types of changes.
It is the responsibility of an institution to follow the Commission’s Substantive Change Policy and to obtain approval prior to implementation. Failure to obtain prior approval from the Commission for substantive changes jeopardizes the institution’s accreditation status and may negatively affect the institution’s Title IV funding or eligibility.
The Commission accepts substantive change requests six times a year according to the submission deadlines below:
January 1
March 1
May 1
July 1
September 1
November 1
Email questions to Commission staff at substantivechange@msche.org.
Submit Substantive Change Request
- Download and complete request form. For Change in Legal Status, Form of Control, or Ownership see Complex Substantive Change Procedures
- Login to the MSCHE Institution Portal then click “+Substantive Change Request” in “Reviews“ or “Request Change” for changes to existing locations listed in “Locations” — Chrome browser recommended
- Complete Substantive Change Screening Form questions
- Upload request form as a PDF document which includes all attachments in the section in the Portal labeled “Reviews”— in the specific review card labeled “Substantive Change Request”
- Click “Complete” when the request form is uploaded in the Portal and ready for review.
- Upload additional information to the section in the portal labeled “Substantive Change Additional Documents,” if requested by MSCHE staff or substantive change evaluators
Types of Substantive Change and Request Forms (as of July 1, 2020)
To download request form for a specific type of substantive change click on the link below.
|
Type of Substantive Change |
Tier |
Domestic |
International |
Visit |
| No. 1 |
Substantial Change in Mission or Objectives |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 2 |
Change in Legal Status, Form of Control, or Ownership |
Tier V |
$18,500 |
$18,500 |
Visit Required |
|
Preliminary Review Form (must be submitted first) |
|
$6,250 |
$8,875 |
Not Required |
| No. 3 |
Significant Departure from Existing Educational Programs |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 4 |
Alternative Delivery Method |
Tier II |
$900 |
$2000 |
Not Required |
| No. 5 |
Direct Assessment Programs |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 6 |
Higher Credential Level |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 7 |
Change in Measures of Student Progress |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 8 |
Substantial Increase in the Number of Clock or Credit Hours Awarded |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 9 |
Written Arrangements |
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic 25-50% |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
— |
Not Required |
|
International |
Tier IV |
— |
$9,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 10 |
Additional Location |
|
|
|
|
|
Reclassification from Additional Location to OIS | Closure of Additional Location (no enrollment and/or no teach-out) |
Tier I |
$200 |
$200 |
Not Required |
|
Establishment of Additional Location | Relocation of Additional Location | Reclassification to Additional Location |
Tier II |
$900 |
$2,000 |
Visit may be Required |
|
Acquisition of any Additional Location of another institution | Addition of permanent Additional Location for teach-out |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Visit Required |
|
Closure of Additional Location (with teach-out) |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 11 |
Branch Campus |
|
|
|
|
|
Reclassification from Branch Campus to OIS |
Tier I |
$200 |
$200 |
Not Required |
|
New Branch Campus | Relocation of Branch Campus | Reclassification to Branch Campus |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Visit Required |
|
Closure of Branch Campus (no teach-out) | Closure of Branch Campus (with teach-out) |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 12 |
Relocation or Reclassification of Main Campus |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Visit Required |
| No. 13 |
Institutional Closure |
Tier IV |
$9,000 |
$9,000 |
Not Required |
| No. 14 |
Experimental Sites Initiatives (ESI) |
Tier III |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
Not Required |
Required Notification and Prior Approval (as of July 1, 2020)
The institution will submit required notifications for the changes listed below initiated after July 1, 2020, as delineated in the Substantive Change Policy and Procedures and in federal regulation 34 CFR § 602.22(b) through the Institution Portal. The method for submission depends on the accreditation status of the institution.
If the institution has had any non-compliance action when the Commission issued or continued (warning, probation, or show cause) in the past three years or is under a provisional certification for participation in title IV, HEA programs, the institution will submit the substantive change request form provided in the links below prior to implementation.
All other institutions will submit required notifications through the Substantive Change Screening Form in the MSCHE Institution Portal within 30 days of the change. Each program must be entered separately.
|
Type of Change |
Tier |
Domestic |
International |
Visit |
| No. 1 |
Change in Existing Program’s Method of Delivery |
Tier I |
$200* |
$200* |
Not Required |
| No. 2 |
Aggregate Change of 25% or More of Program’s Curriculum |
Tier I |
$200* |
$200* |
Not Required |
| No. 3 |
Customized pathways or Modified Programs |
Tier I |
$200* |
$200* |
Not Required |
| No. 4 |
Written Arrangements for the Provision of 1-24 Percent of an Educational Program |
Tier I |
$200* |
$200* |
Not Required |
*Fees waived for 2020-21
Report Lower Credential Levels (as of July 1, 2020)
Credential levels that are lower than those currently included within the institution’s scope of accreditation do not require prior approval through the substantive change process but these credential levels may still be included within the institution’s scope of accreditation and listed on the Institution’s Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS). The institution will report lower credential levels through the Substantive Change Screening Form in the Institutional Portal, which is available at any time.
Log in to the MSCHE Institution Portal to report new lower credential levels.
Resources
The following resources are available in the Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines sections:
- Complex Substantive Change Procedures
- Credit Hour Policy
- Dues and Fees Procedures
- Substantive Change Guidelines
- Substantive Change Policy
- Substantive Change Procedures
- Teach-out Plans and Agreements Policy
- Teach-out Plans and Agreements Procedures
- Third Party Providers
- Contracts by Accredited and Candidate Institutions for Education-related Services
