WARREN — Northern Pennsylvania Regional College (NPRC) passed a significant milestone on Wednesday, as the college received official notification that the accrediting body accepted NPRC’s letter of intent to apply for regional accreditation.

“The accreditation process is a long and arduous process, and we are very pleased to have received this official notification,” said NPRC Founding President Joseph T. Nairn, D. Mgt. “The process of accreditation is a multi-step process; the first major milestone is to be accepted as an applicant for Candidate for Accreditation from the accrediting body. This notification is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees,” said Nairn.

Accreditation is important for three primary reasons:

Enrolled students are eligible to receive federal and state grants and loans

College credits are more easily transferable to other institutions

The quality of the school meets standards for excellence as established and reviewed by

peer institutions.

“Our comprehensive precandidacy application was approved in January and included data on curriculum, finances, student outcomes, and other institutional processes,” said Linda Fleming, Ph.D., vice-president of Academic and Student Affairs, NPRC.

Fleming adds, “Our next step is to apply for candidacy. For this step, institutions must also have students enrolled in and graduated from its own programs, complete a second substantial application, and host a peer review site visit from the accrediting body. We plan to submit our application for candidacy this summer.”

Northern Pennsylvania Regional College was established in May 2017. The college began operating as an independent institution in January 2020.