Higher Education Accreditation Consulting

What Higher Education Accreditation Consulting does

Higher Education Accreditation Consulting (HEAC) is an Atlanta-based professional services firm founded in 2022 by Dr. Renée Pellom that provides accreditation consulting to education providers across the United States and select international markets. The firm helps institutions navigate the full accreditation lifecycle, including initial candidacy, self-study preparation, documentation review, team visit preparation, mock evaluations, substantive change management, mergers and acquisitions support, and ongoing compliance. HEAC concentrates its expertise on the Council on Occupational Education (COE) accreditation regime and additionally operates a dedicated Federal/Department of Defense vertical serving Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and DoD school communities. The firm markets itself as a minority- and woman-owned education consultancy.

HEAC generates revenue through two principal streams. The first is project-based consulting engagements, supplemented by monthly subscription services for continuous accreditation maintenance support and an Executive Coaching program for school-site administrators (Principal's Coaching Initiative). The second is the HEAC Learning Network (HLN), a subscription-based on-demand learning platform delivered via Thinkific that targets COE-accredited and COE-candidate institutions with structured content on applying accreditation policy. Customer acquisition is sales-led, with prospective clients engaging through a contact form on the company website for a complimentary assessment, supported by organic presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

The company is led by Dr. Renée Pellom, who brings over 25 years of experience as an executive with a U.S. Department of Education-recognized national accrediting agency, and includes at least one Associate with 37 years of education administration experience. HEAC states that its staff have collectively overseen 500+ schools through accreditation processes. The firm operates without disclosed external funding, parent company, or subsidiaries, and headcount is reported in the 1–10 range.

Name

Higher Education Accreditation Consulting

Legal name

Higher Education Accreditation Consulting

Website

https://higheredaccred.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Higher Education Accreditation Consulting is an Atlanta-based, founder-led consultancy that helps education providers achieve and maintain accreditation, with a focus on Council on Occupational Education (COE) and Federal/DoD institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Accreditation Consulting

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAFAIAJ

Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Education Marketplaces & Course Platforms (MOOCs, Cohort-Based, Creator Platforms)

SECONDARYEDADACAF

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Accreditation Bodies (Institutional & Programmatic)

Keywords

• Accreditation consulting
• Higher education consulting
• Institutional accreditation services
• Educational compliance support
• Accreditation readiness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements for accreditation preparation, self-study development, documentation review, team visit preparation, strategic planning, and compliance support. The company also offers monthly subscription services for ongoing accreditation maintenance assistance.
2. HEAC Learning Network (HLN): On-demand learning platform providing single-user access for individual learners, with group access available upon request. Subscription or licensing model for COE-accredited and COE-candidate institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HEAC provides accreditation consulting services to higher education institutions seeking to obtain, maintain, or transfer Council of Education (COE) accreditation. Core engagements cover initial accreditation, team visit preparation, applications and self-study reports, principal coaching, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, grant writing, and Federal/DoD program support. The firm also operates the HEAC Learning Network (HLN), a subscription-based digital learning platform that delivers ongoing accreditation readiness content and coaching to subscribing institutions.

Product overview

Higher Education Accreditation Consulting offers a portfolio of accreditation consulting services, with its primary digital product being the HEAC Learning Network (HLN) — a structured, on-demand learning platform for COE-accredited and candidate institutions. The company also provides an array of advisory services including new school formation, initial accreditation, team visit preparation, applications assistance, professional development (Principal's Coaching Initiative), strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions support, and grant writing services. Federal/DoD-specific services are offered alongside general institutional consulting, with optional monthly subscription plans for ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HEAC Learning Network (HLN): A structured, on-demand learning environment designed to support Council on Occupational Education (COE)-accredited and COE-candidate institutions in understanding and applying accreditation policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully assisted 500+ schools through initial accreditation or reaccreditation processes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Credo: Higher education consulting firm advising colleges on strategy, retention, and accreditation support. Comparable as a mission-driven consulting partner to institutions pursuing improved effectiveness and accreditation outcomes.
• Gray Associates: Higher education strategy consulting firm helping colleges and universities with program portfolio optimization, market research, and accreditation-related strategic planning. Comparable as a specialist consulting partner for institutions undergoing strategic and accreditation reviews.

Emerging players

• Carnegie Dartlet: Higher education marketing, enrollment, and strategy consultancy. Comparable in helping institutions strengthen positioning and quality of programming—elements tied to accreditation standards—but focused primarily on the enrollment and branding dimensions.
• Academic Impressions: Provider of professional development, training, and conferences for higher education leaders and administrators. Comparable to HEAC's Principal's Coaching Initiative and HLN learning platform as a resource for institutional leadership development tied to accreditation effectiveness.

Broad incumbents

• RSM US: Mid-market professional services firm with a higher education industry group providing advisory, risk, and consulting services to colleges and universities. Overlaps with HEAC in serving institutional clients facing accreditation and compliance challenges.
• Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB): Member organization providing governance, accreditation, and leadership advisory services to higher education boards and institutions. Comparable as a source of accreditation-related advisory and best practices for institutional leaders, though its scope is broader than HEAC's consulting focus.
• EAB (Education Advisory Board): Research, analytics, and advisory firm serving higher education institutions on strategy, enrollment, and student success. Comparable in addressing institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement themes tied to accreditation standards, though at a much larger scale and with broader content.
• Huron Consulting Group: Large advisory firm with a higher education practice covering accreditation support, strategy, and operational improvement. Comparable as an incumbent competitor pursuing the same institutional clients, but at much greater scale and breadth than HEAC.
• Baker Tilly: Accounting and advisory firm with a higher education practice that includes accreditation advisory, financial analysis, and institutional compliance services. Comparable in serving institutional clients navigating accreditation and regulatory requirements, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• FORVIS: Accounting and advisory firm (formerly BKD) with a higher education practice serving colleges, universities, and vocational institutions. Comparable in addressing accreditation, financial planning, and compliance needs of education providers, particularly in the vocational and applied-technology space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HigherEducationAccreditationConsulting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higher-education-accreditation-consulting-heac
• Instagraminstagram.com/higheredaccred

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Higher Education Accreditation Consulting