Customer Satisfaction Survey
We're interested in your opinion! Please take the time to complete our Survey. Click here
Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions answered on registration of post secondary and tertiary
education institutions operating in Trinidad and Tobago.
INTRODUCTION
All post secondary and tertiary level institutions, local or transnational/foreign, operating in Trinidad and Tobago must be registered by the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT).
Post secondary or tertiary institutions must first submit an application for registration in Trinidad and Tobago. If necessary, the post secondary or tertiary institution must obtain ACTT’s approval to use the institutional title that it wishes to be registered under.
The institution is required to submit to an evaluation by ACTT to ensure compliance with the minimum quality requirements for post secondary and tertiary institutions. If the institution meets these requirements for registration, it is issued a Certificate of Registration by ACTT. Registered institutions are placed on the Register of Post secondary and Tertiary Institutions.
Post secondary education refers to all education and training programmes which are not at tertiary level but which are offered to secondary school leavers to meet their vocational or continuing education needs.
Provider is a person or body offering programmes or courses leading to an award or credit.
Tertiary education means the teaching and learning process following the completion of secondary education or its equivalent and leading to the awards at the sub-baccalaureate, baccalaureate and post baccalaureate levels.
List of Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is registration?
- Q: Which institutions are required to register?
- Q: Why is registration mandatory?
- Q: What are ACTT’s criteria for registration?
- Q: How does an institution begin the registration process?
- Q: How is an institution evaluated for registration?
- Q: What are the fees to become registered?
- Q: What decisions may be taken on institutions seeking registration?
- Q: How long does it take for an institution to become registered?
- Q: Does an institution’s registered status expire?
- Q: How does ACTT monitor registered institutions?
- Q: What is the difference between registration and accreditation?
- Q: Where can I find a list of registered institutions?
- Q: What is Recognition?
- Q: Why is Recognition important?
- Q: What is meant by Equivalence Assessment?
- Q: What services does ACTT currently offer in regard to Recognition and Equivalence?
- Q: What are "Diploma Mills"?
- Q: What is ACTT doing to protect the Public from "Diploma Mills"?
- Q: How can I tell if an institution is a "Diploma Mill"?
- Q: What are Professional Regulatory Bodies?
- Q: Are Professional Regulatory Bodies consulted by ACTT?
- Q: What is a National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF)?
- Q: Is there a National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF) for Trinidad and Tobago?
- Q: What is Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)?
- Q: Does ACTT have any other initiatives related to Qualifications and Recognitions?
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
A: Registration is a mandatory process whereby post secondary and tertiary education and training institutions demonstrate they have the capacity to offer quality education in Trinidad and Tobago.
Q: Which institutions are required to register?
A: All institutions offering education and training in Trinidad and Tobago that lead to the award of post secondary and tertiary level qualifications. These institutions must be registered before they begin to offer these qualifications.
Q: Why is registration mandatory?
A: Mandatory registration provides a legal framework for protecting the interests of students, parents and other stakeholders in the tertiary education sector. Institutions that fail to register with ACTT are guilty of an offence. In accordance with Chapter 39:06, those institutions will be liable on summary conviction to a fine of $20,000.00 and a further $500.00 for each day that they continue to operate without being registered. Institutions that fail to register should not be operating.
Q: What are ACTT's criteria for registration?
A: The criteria for registration focus on the evaluation of the institution in seven (7) key areas:
-
Legal, Policy and Regulatory Requirements
-
Governance and Administration
-
Quality Management System
-
Resource Management
-
Teaching-Learning Process
-
Review
-
Continuous Improvement
Q: How does an instituiton begin the registration process?
A: The registration process starts with the institution submitting a Letter of Intent, which states the name of the institution to be registered, the types and levels of qualifications offered and the number of sites or campuses that the institution wishes to have registered. This letter must be signed and dated by the Head of the Institution and addressed to ACTT’s Executive Director. ACTT will then communicate with the institution on the next steps in the process.
Q: How is an institution evaluated for registration?
A: A gap analysis of the completed Application for Registration is conducted to determine if the minimum requirements for registration have been met. If the institution has met these minimum requirements, a site visit is conducted by an evaluation team comprising trained professionals appointed by ACTT to assess the institution’s operations. The evaluation team prepares a report and makes a recommendation on the status to be granted. The Board of ACTT makes the final decision on the status to be awarded. If the Board makes a decision to register the institution, ACTT issues a Certificate of Registration to the institution. If the institution has not met the requirements for registration, the institution may obtain additional support from ACTT.
Q: What are the fees to become registered?
Application Processing Fee – a non-refundable fee paid at the time of submitting the application for registration.
Evaluation Fee – the cost of the evaluation exercise which includes honoraria and expenses paid to evaluators appointed by ACTT.
Certification Fee - the cost of publication of the registered status awarded and preparation of the certificate. This applies to an institution that meets the criteria and standards for registration.
Registration Fee - payable on registration and annually while status is maintained.
Q: What decisions may be taken on institutions seeking registration?
-
Registration for 3 years
-
Registration for 2 years
-
Registration for 1 year
-
Provisional Registration
-
Extension of candidacy
-
Denial of Registration
The status granted to an institution depends on the extent to which it has satisfied the criteria for registration.
Q: How long does it take for an institution to become registered?
A: The projected timeline for processing an application that satisfies these guidelines is a minimum of four (4) months. However, the cycle time for processing an institution’s application for registration is dependent on the application’s quality, appropriateness and adequacy.
Q: Does an institution’s registered status expire?
A: Yes. An institution can be registered for a period of up to three (3) years depending on the strength of its Quality Management System. Registered institutions must apply to ACTT for re-registration six (6) months prior to the expiration of their registered status. Institutions that allow their registration status to expire will be in breach of Chapter 39:06, causing their agreement with ACTT to be compromised.
Q: How does ACTT monitor registered institutions?
A: All registered institutions must submit a Registered Institution’s Annual Report (RIAR) to ACTT, outlining their level of continued compliance with the criteria for registration. Failure to comply with the conditions of registered status may result in revocation of such status.
Q: What is the difference between registration and accreditation?
A: Registration is mandatory by law, whereas accreditation is voluntary. Registration signifies an institution has the capacity to offer quality education. It does not provide assurances of the quality of educational outcomes.
Accreditation is both a process and a status. It is the process used to evaluate the quality of an institution or programme and to assist in institutional or programme improvement. It is also the status granted to an institution or programme that has been evaluated and found to meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality.
Q: Where can I find a list of registered institutions?
ACTT publishes the names of all registered institutions in the press and on its official website –www.actt.org.tt. Also, all registered institutions are placed on a National Register of Post Secondary and Tertiary Institutions in the Ministry of Science Technology and Tertiary Education (MSTTE).
A: Recognition is the approval by a competent and duly authorised agency of the quality and acceptability of a legitimate educational institution and the qualifications it awards.
Q: Why is Recognition important?
A: Most employers and other public or private authorities (e.g. those responsible for the award of scholarships) require that the institution and programme are recognised. Before enrolling in a post secondary or tertiary level institution you should ensure that the institution in which you intend to enroll has been quality assured.
Q: What is meant by Equivalence of Qualifications?
A: Equivalence means that a foreign qualification is comparable to a specifically identified qualification officially issued in Trinidad and Tobago.
Q: How can I benefit from an Equivalence Assessment?
A: Equivalent qualifications may allow you to gain entry to ‘further study’ in Trinidad and Tobago and may even earn you ‘credit transfers’ for existing qualifications. The institution receiving the credits makes the final decision on the acceptability and value of the credits towards completion of its qualifications.
Q: What services does ACTT currently offer in regard to Recognition and Equivalence?
A: Statements on Recognition: ACTT issues official statements on the accreditation and/or recognition status of foreign and local institutions and qualifications awarded at these institutions.
Normal Processing Time: minimum 10 working days
Processing Fee: TT $100.00/qualification
“Express” Service: 48 hours
Processing Fee: TT $300.00/qualification
A: Equivalency Assessment: ACTT issues official statements on the equivalence of foreign qualifications to national qualifications.
Normal Processing Time: minimum 20 working days
(no “Express” service available for Equivalency Assessment)
Processing Fee: TT $300.00/qualification.
A: “Diploma Mills” are organisations that award academic degrees and diplomas with very little or no academic study, and without recognition by official accrediting bodies. Such organisations operate without monitoring by state or professional agencies and grant diplomas which are either fraudulent or, because of the lack of proper standards, are considered worthless.
Q: What is ACTT doing to protect the Public from "Diploma Mills"?
A: ACTT will continuously scan the post secondary and tertiary education sector to detect the existence of potential diploma mills operating in or offering qualifications to Trinidad and Tobago nationals.Additionally, ACTT will disseminate information on ‘diploma mills’ and other such ‘fraudulent’ tertiary level institutions through advertisements, bulletins and other forms of media so as to inform the public of such institutions operating in Trinidad and Tobago.
ACTT also aims to increase awareness among students, employers and other stakeholders of the importance of pursuing post secondary and tertiary level study at recognised institutions, and seeking qualifications that will be accepted by employers and institutions locally, regionally and globally.
Q: How can I tell if an institution is a “Diploma Mill”?
A: Detecting ‘diploma mills’ can be difficult, but fraudulent post secondary and tertiary institutions generally exhibit common features. Here’s what to look out for:
Q: What are Professional Regulatory Bodies?
-
A professional body is a group of people in a specialised occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation. Professional regulatory bodies in many countries play a significant role in the oversight of education, training and certification linked to the profession.
-
Regulatory bodies have long been established in fields such as medicine, law, architecture and engineering. The growing specialisation of the workplace has led to a rapid growth of professional bodies such as nursing, teaching, library science, counselling, insurance, and accounting.
Q: Are Professional Regulatory Bodies consulted by ACTT?
-
ACTT has embarked on developing collaborative relationships with professional regulatory bodies, professional associations, regulatory agencies, employers and other related stakeholders in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).
-
ACTT intends to forge various Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) on qualifications requirements, including foreign, local and specialised qualifications for entry into professions and specialised occupations in Trinidad and Tobago and the CSME.
-
ACTT has commenced the development of a database of local professional regulatory bodies, professional associations and other stakeholders.
Q: What is a National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF)?
A National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF) is a system that defines the levels at which qualifications may be awarded in a particular country. A NQCF assists in standardising qualifications by defining titles, outcomes of qualifications at each level, the rules for credit accumulation and transfer, and the relationship between qualifications.
Q: Is there a National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF) for Trinidad and Tobago?
-
ACTT intends to work collaboratively with all stakeholders towards the establishment of a National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF) for Trinidad and Tobago. This foundation project will involve the development of criteria and standards that provide for:
- the award of qualifications
- recognition of qualifications
- increased horizontal and vertical articulation
- transferability of credits
- increased intra- and extra- regional mobility of skills
- As part of the framework, all existing tertiary/higher education qualifications awarded by local institutions will be positioned relative to one another. The NQCF will also highlight progression routes and pathways to professional, vocational and other kinds of qualifications.
- With the development of the NQCF, ACTT will introduce mechanisms to accommodate new qualifications as they are developed.
-
Further plans related to the NQCF include the development of processes and criteria that will facilitate determination of equivalence of foreign qualifications to local qualifications; and the comparison of local qualifications with qualifications within the Caribbean region and internationally.
Q: What is Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)?
-
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the process of determining whether the learning acquired from life and work experiences can count toward tertiary level credit. The emphasis is on what is learnt from the experiences, rather than on the experiences themselves.
- ACTT will embark on a survey of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) policies among post secondary and tertiary institutions in Trinidad and Tobago.
- Following the outcomes of the PLA survey, ACTT plans to begin collaboration and training with local post secondary and tertiary institutions in the context of developing consistent standards, policies and procedures for the recognition of prior learning.
Q: Does ACTT have any other initiatives related to Qualifications and Recognition?
- ACTT will create, manage and maintain appropriate databases of accredited institutions and recognised programmes for the internal management of information.
- Further initiatives of ACTT include:
- working with regional and international accrediting bodies so as to ensure mutual recognition of qualifications
- regional collaboration towards development of a Regional Qualifications Framework endorsed by CARICOM and the Caribbean Accrediting Agency for Higher Education.