ATA College Accreditation

The Council on Occupational Education came into existence initially in 1971 as the Commission on Occupational Education Institutions (COEI) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), a regional accrediting association that serves institutions in an 11-state region.

Throughout its history, the Council on Occupational Education and its predecessor agency have been recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of education offered by the institutions it has accredited. Its current scope of recognition is as a national institutional accrediting agency for the accreditation of non-degree-granting and applied associate degree-granting postsecondary occupational education institutions for traditional and distance education (hybrid/online).

ATA College is approved to operate by the State of California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and upholds the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009. “Approval” or “approval to operate” means that the Bureau has determined and certified that an institution meets minimum standards established by the Bureau for integrity, financial stability, and educational quality, including the offering of bona fide instruction by qualified faculty and the appropriate assessment of students’ achievement, prior to, during, and at the end of its program.

The BPPE protects students and consumers through the oversight of California’s private postsecondary educational institutions by conducting qualitative reviews of educational programs and operating standards, proactively combating unlicensed activity, impartially resolving student and consumer complaints, and conducting outreach.

ATA College is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE), a national accrediting agency of higher education institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which allows for participation in Federal Financial Aid for applicable programs.

The GI Bill® is administered by the USDVA, whose responsibility it is to make all determinations related to Veteran education benefit eligibility and payments. The USDVA regulates entitlements paid to Veterans and performs all calculations. “GI Bill®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ATA College is approved to provide Veterans benefits under Title 38, U.S.C.

The California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE) is part of the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) and operates under the authority of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA).

ATA College is an approved training provider for CalJOBS and has eligible programs for financial assistance under the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act.

California’s Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) was established in compliance with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 and amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 to provide customer-focused employment training resources for adults and dislocated workers.

ATA College is an approved training provider (School #143) for the Fiber Optics Association (FOA), an international professional society of fiber optics. FOA is chartered to promote fiber optics through education, certification, and standards. The Fiber Optic Association has developed curriculum guidelines for training course approval and only approves schools or training organizations meeting their standards.

ATA College now joined an Educational Alliance with Grand Canyon University for students successfully completing our associate degree programs. ATA College Graduates are eligible to transfer their credits and receive a 10% off GCU tuition.

The San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce is the respected voice of and advocates for improving business opportunities, public policy, and business resources throughout San Diego County.