PROCEDURES, POLICIES, AND CONDITIONS

Procedures, Policies, and Conditions

Below is information regarding the procedures, policies, and conditions of the evaluation process. You will receive more information specific to your education once you have applied and paid for your evaluation. We look forward to assisting you.

FACS does not prepare advisory evaluations for medical, nursing, dental, physical therapy, or veterinary education.

Records submitted in sealed envelopes from the issuing college or university cannot be returned to the applicant.

FACS reviews only an applicant’s academic credentials and does not provide advisory recommendations concerning the reciprocity of foreign-earned professional qualifications and/or work experience.

Any educational credential submitted after an evaluation has been completed will require a new evaluation a new application, and a fee payment.

All information requested must be provided within a one-year period. After one year, records will be discarded, the application will be closed, and a new evaluation must be ordered on our website.

FACS has access to evaluation records completed as of August 1, 2017.

FACS recommends that descriptions of courses that may not be accurately described by the course title be provided through the issuing institution’s course syllabus.

Official English language translations must accompany official copies of records in another language. Official records, including diplomas, in the original language, must be submitted with English translations.

FACS may request the applicant to provide additional records and/or to complete supplemental forms describing his or her educational preparation to formulate an accurate advisory evaluation. FACS will, when necessary, contact an institution in another country or the United States for further information about an applicant’s credentials, including verification of authenticity.

If FACS determines the academic credentials submitted for evaluation have in any way been altered, tampered with, or forged, no evaluation will be prepared. All fees will be forfeited, and appropriate notification will be issued.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Requesting cancellation before the start of our evaluation process* will result in a full refund less a $10.00 cancellation fee which is retained by FACS, Inc. Fees are non-refundable once FACS, Inc. has started the evaluation process. (*The evaluation process begins when all required documents have been received.)

SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR CPA APPLICANTS

Each applicant’s academic credentials will be evaluated to assess whether his or her educational preparation, in the opinion of FACS, fulfills the education requirement to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination or become licensed in the state or jurisdiction to which the application is made. The Board of each state or jurisdiction will consider the FACS evaluation as advisory and reserves the right to determine the applicant’s eligibility. Requests to change from one board to another board (for example, Florida to North Dakota) will require a new evaluation application and fee payment.

Guam Applicants Please Note:

Applicants who have earned professional qualifications in accounting should submit relevant supporting documents, including complete and official examination results and qualifications granted.

OHIO APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE:
If you have completed a course(s) that includes the topic of professional ethics and responsibility, please request your college or university to provide us directly with an official syllabus, course description, or letter indicating the completion of a course, which includes the subject of professional ethics and responsibilities. The Accountancy Board of Ohio accepts professional ethics completed as part of your auditing courses or auditing sequence.

COLORADO APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE:
Colorado applicants must complete an auditing course that includes U.S. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS). Please request your college or university to directly provide a course syllabus, course description, or letter (from the institution) indicating the coverage of U.S. GAAS.

COUNTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION

APPLICANTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM CHINA PLEASE NOTE:

We require a Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) verification report of all coursework and degrees completed in the People’s Republic of China.

Please visit the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center.

Along with CSSD verification, please send university-issued transcripts that report the credit value and/or class hours for each course (subject). Please include the university-issued Certificate of Graduation and Certificate of Degree when applicable.

APPLICANTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM INDIA PLEASE NOTE:

We require individual mark sheets. The final year mark sheet is not sufficient for evaluation. In addition, we require a photocopy of the front and back of your degree certificate.

FORMATS ACCEPTED

1.) Original, First Issue Marksheets and photocopies of your degree certificate mailed directly to our office. These documents will be returned to you at the completion of the evaluation through your chosen return mailing service.

2.) Official Marksheets issued by the university, in university-sealed envelopes, mailed to our office or school-issued e-transcripts sent to transcripts@facsusa.com

EXCEPTION: All CPA applicants who are scheduling examinations through NASBA CPA Exam Services and have completed their education in India: Effective August 3, 2021, we can no longer accept notarized educational documents. All educational documents must be sent to FACS in university-sealed envelopes or sent electronically directly from the university. Please note that the issuing university must send documents, not the affiliated college.

APPLICANTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM LEBANON, PLEASE NOTE:

Please provide us with an official copy of your Baccalaureate II, Lebanese Baccalaureate, or General Certificate of Education. This document is required so that we can provide full credit for your bachelor’s degree.

APPLICANTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM EUROPE PLEASE NOTE:

Applicants who have attended European universities and other higher education institutions (for example, in Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Russia, etc.) must request those institutions to provide FACS with an official report of all courses (subjects) by title completed toward the diploma, including the number of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits* or instructional/lecture/seminar hours offered weekly in each course (subject) during each academic semester or year. Official copies of diplomas earned and all examination results in each course (subject) must be provided.

*Academic records from European schools participating in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System should report ECTS credits for each course.