If you completed your high school or college outside of the U.S., you might be wondering whether a foreign academic credential evaluation is necessary in the case of FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Short answer to this question is that no, a foreign academic credential evaluation is not required when submitting your FAFSA application. You may file FAFSA and submit the form without providing the evaluation of your credentials to the U.S. Department of Education.

This said, the college/university/career school you are planning to enroll into may request additional documents. Such additional documentation request is made not by FAFSA but rather by schools themselves because they have to make sure whether you have met the requirements for admissions, transfer of credits, or eligibility for federal student aid.

FAFSA Does Not Require a Credential Evaluation

FAFSA is an application which is used to determine whether you are eligible for the federal student aid. In the application you will be asked whether you have completed the high school but there will be no requirement from your part to provide the evaluation of your foreign credentials to the Department of Education. That is to say, the process of applying for the financial aid is connected with the school’s review of documents but they are not one and the same process.

According to the FSA Guidance, high school diploma includes the diploma obtained in the foreign institution as long as it is equivalent to the U.S. high school diploma prior to the moment of the student’s enrollment. Thus, the question whether a diploma has been received in the U.S. is not of any importance; what is important is whether a diploma is equal to the U.S. high school diploma.

Why Your School May Still Ask for One

Though FAFSA does not require your credential evaluation, some schools may ask for such evaluation to ensure that the student meets the requirement of having completed the equivalent of high school in the United States.

The Federal Student Aid Handbook permits the school to decide on the acceptability of the foreign high school diploma. The school will have the right to review the credentials if it is eligible for the assessment. In cases where the school does not feel that it is eligible to perform the assessment, it may instruct you to get the assessment done by a private credential evaluation service.

If You Completed School Outside the U.S.

In case you have completed your secondary education abroad, the college may require you to submit academic documents to check their equivalence. These documents include:

• Your foreign diploma or transcript.
• English translation of your academic credentials if they are not in English.
• Credential Evaluation.

It should be noted that the U.S. Department of Education does not evaluate foreign qualifications and degrees and recommends the student contacting the college in which he/she plans to study to find out further instructions. The process may either be conducted independently by the institution or it can be suggested to use the services of a private company evaluating credentials.

If You Already Have a Foreign College Degree

If you graduated from college in another country, whether or not to conduct a credential evaluation depends both on the institution itself and on the reasons for reviewing your educational documents. Some colleges have their own system of evaluating foreign transcripts, while others require the applicant to conduct the process outside the institution.

The application for FAFSA does not imply any specific credential evaluation service that is to be used. Each institution conducts its own policy concerning transcript evaluation, thus, you should clarify it in advance before purchasing a credential evaluation service.

Practical Next Steps

1. Fill out the application form for FAFSA before the specified deadline; do not wait for the credential evaluation process if you are not instructed to do it by your institution.
2. Consult the institution regarding foreign credential evaluation process.
3. Question if certified translations are needed for your non-English documents.
4. In case of an outside evaluation being necessary, make sure to check what services the school needs before making an order.
5. Always make copies of diplomas, transcripts, translations, and the report of evaluation.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need a foreign credential evaluation to complete the FAFSA form, and don’t need to submit it to the U.S. Department of Education. However, the college you apply to may ask you for a credential evaluation to prove your high school equivalency, admissions, or for transfer credit purposes. As different institutions have their own policies, the best way to go will be to submit the FAFSA in time and follow further document instructions provided by the college.

Many schools that require an outside credential evaluation accept evaluations from NACES member organizations. FACS is a founding member of NACES and a member of it now. You can find out more information on FACS evaluations on their website https://clone.facsusa.com/. The cost of such services starts at $100, and a quick turnaround is five business days after receipt of your documents.

 
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The post Do You Need a Foreign Credential Evaluation to File the FAFSA? first appeared on Foreign Academic Credentials Service.

US CPA License Recognition

Guam is a fully recognized US CPA jurisdiction, meaning you will earn the same kind of CPA certification in Guam as candidates in any of the US states do.

No Need to Prove US Residency or Apply for SSN

One of the biggest benefits for international candidates offered by Guam is the absence of residency or SSN (Social Security Number) requirements – two common hurdles required by many other US jurisdictions.

Simplified Application Procedures

All candidates in Guam use the official NASBA CPA Exam Application Portal. Here, all related functions such as submitting an application or receiving the Notices to Schedule are handled conveniently on a single website.

More Favorable Eligibility Requirements

In contrast to many other jurisdictions, Guam gives its candidates more chances in terms of eligibility requirements.  Certain candidates who are still completing their education may be able to qualify to sit for the exam if they are on track to meet the education requirements within the required timeframe.

Proximity for Asia-Pacific Candidates

Guam is conveniently located near other states in the Asia-Pacific region. It provides candidates with multiple opportunities for taking tests throughout the year.

Exam Section Availability and Flexibility

Lastly, the fact that CPA candidates can sit for the exam sections individually and independently determines an effective application strategy. For many candidates, it is an important aspect, which significantly contributes to the positive perception of the whole examination process.

We’re Here to Help

Since 1982, FACS has been the most trusted name in evaluations for CPA examinations and CPA licensure.

 
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The post Why So Many CPA Candidates Choose Guam for Jurisdiction first appeared on Foreign Academic Credentials Service.

Applicants are not just buying a report; they are buying confidence that the report will be accepted and defensible. NACES membership helps with both.

NACES membership matters because, in the U.S., there is no single government agency that regulates private foreign credential evaluation companies. NACES was created to set professional and ethical standards for that field, and its members must meet documented requirements for evaluator qualifications, report content, documentation practices, resources, and ongoing quality review. NACES also says admission requires a comprehensive application, an in-person site visit, and formal review of sample evaluations.

Applicants are not just buying a report; they are buying confidence that the report will be accepted and defensible. NACES membership helps with both.

For agencies doing advisory academic credential or equivalency evaluations, that matters because the evaluation itself is usually an expert opinion, not a government-issued determination. So the real question for a school, employer, licensing board, or applicant is: how much should we trust this evaluator’s methodology and consistency? NACES membership is a widely recognized shorthand for “this agency has been vetted against established professional standards.”

Why recipients care:

• Quality control and credibility. NACES standards require evaluators to be trained, supervised, and capable of producing equivalencies covering credential level, subjects completed, credits, and grades. That reduces the risk of careless or non-comparable reports.
• Market recognition. Many recipients know NACES by name, so a NACES-member report is easier for them to accept operationally than a report from an unknown company. NACES itself presents its members as being in good standing and available to serve users nationwide.
• Risk reduction for institutions and boards. If an admissions office or licensing board is relying on an outside evaluation, using a recognized association lowers the chance of disputes over methodology or legitimacy. That is especially important where eligibility decisions have legal or regulatory consequences.
• Consistency across cases. Membership does not mean every evaluator will reach the exact same conclusion, but it does signal that the agency is operating within a professional framework rather than inventing its own unsupported rules.

NACES membership is critical because it functions as the strongest common trust signal in a largely unregulated evaluation market.

We’re Here to Help

If you have any questions about what NACES Membership means for your evaluation report, please don’t hesitate to ask.

 
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The post Why is NACES Membership So Important? first appeared on Foreign Academic Credentials Service.