Accreditation Association or Commission

Definition
A recognized and voluntary nongovernmental body established to administer accrediting procedures. An accrediting body is formally acknowledged, or recognized, as being a reliable authority concerning the quality of education or training offered by educational institutions or programs by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. It is a voluntary organization and not established by the federal or state governments or any agency, department, or office thereof. An accrediting body may be identified by scope (institutional or specialized program) or area (regional, interregional, or national). [NWCCU Glossary]

Source Information
NWCCU -