The Fifth Year Interim Report

Information, Forms, and Timelines

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is one of only a few accrediting commissions that conducts a comprehensive review of its institutions every ten years.  Most accrediting agencies conduct such reviews every 5 to 7 years.  The U.S. Department of Education requires accrediting agencies that it recognizes to monitor its institutions more often to ensure that institutions having access to federal funds continue to meet accreditation standards.  To that end, the Commission has developed a Fifth-Year Interim Report. 

Fifth-Year Interim Report Documents

The Fifth-Year Interim Report is divided into five parts:

Part I. Signatures Attesting to Integrity (applicable to all institutions)

Part II. Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews (applicable to all institutions)

Part III. Fifth-Year Compliance Certification (applicable to all institutions)

Part IV. Fifth-Year Follow-Up (applicable to select institutions)

Part V. Impact Report of the Quality Enhancement Plan (applicable to all institutions)

Please refer to the links below to access the following Fifth-Year Interim Report Documents:

• Template (Fifth-Year Interim Report) [Word]
• Process for the Review of the QEP Impact Report [PDF]
  (Document describing Part V of the Report)
• Directions and Guidelines for the Completion of Part III of the Fifth-Year Interim Report [PDF]
  (Document providing guidance to institutions in the completion of Part III, the Fifth-Year Compliance Certification. The institution should also refer to the Resource Manual.)
• Documentation for the Interim Off-Campus Instructional Sites Committee [Word]
  (Document completed by an institution required to host a committee to review off-campus sites initiated, but not visited, since the institution’s previous reaffirmation.) (Jan 2024)
• Report of the Interim Off-Campus Instructional Sites Committee. – Reviewing New Sites Added since Last Reaffirmation (Jan 2024) [Word]
• Fifth-Year Interim Report (Policy) [PDF]
• Documents Submitted for SACSCOC Review [PDF]

Institutions with their next schedules reaffirmations in 2027 thru 2034

The timelines for submitting Fifth-Year Interim Reports for institutions last reaffirmed in 2017 thru 2024 can be accessed by clicking onto the timeline below. The charts are organized by next reaffirmation dates. If you are unsure as to your institution’s next reaffirmation date, access the Commission’s main menu of its web page, click onto your institution’s state on the main menu page, click onto your institution, next reaffirmation is under Accreditation Information.

• Timeline Charts for the Submission and Review of Fifth-Year Interim Reports: Reaffirmation Classes 2027 thru 2034  [PDF] (Updated 01/23)