Registration is a mandatory process whereby post-secondary and tertiary education, and training institutions demonstrate they have the capacity to offer quality education in Grenada Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

The criteria for registration focus on the evaluation of the institution in five (5) key areas:

• 1. Legal, Policy and Regulatory Requirements
  2. Governance and Administration
  3. Quality Management System
  4. Resource Management
  5. Teaching-Learning Process

• Application Processing Fee– a non-refundable fee paid at the time of submitting the application for registration.
• Evaluation Fee– the cost of the evaluation exercise which includes honoraria and expenses paid to evaluators appointed by GNAB.
• Certification Fee– the cost of publication of the registered status awarded and preparation of the certificate. This applies to an institution that meets the criteria and standards for registration.
• Registration Fee– payable on registration and annually while status is maintained.

 Registration for 3 years

• Registration for 2 years
• Registration for 1 year
• Provisional Registration
• Extension of candidacy
• Denial of Registration

The status granted to an institution depends on the extent to which it has satisfied the criteria for registration.

Yes. An institution can be registered for a period of up to three (3) years depending on the strength of its Quality Management System. Registered institutions must apply to GNAB for re-registration six (6) months prior to the expiration of their registered status. Institutions that allow their registration status to expire will be in breach of Chapter 37:01, causing their agreement with GNAB to be compromised.

All registered institutions must submit a Registered Institution’s Annual Report (RIAR) to GNAB, outlining their level of continued compliance with the criteria for registration. Failure to comply with the conditions of registered status may result in revocation of such status.

Registration is mandatory by law, whereas accreditation is voluntary. Registration signifies an institution that has the capacity to offer quality education. It does not provide assurances of the quality of educational outcomes.

 Accreditation is both a process and a status. It is the process used to evaluate the quality of an institution or programme and to assist in institutional or programme improvement. It is also the status granted to an institution or programme that has been evaluated and found to meet or exceed stated criteria of educational quality.

GNAB publishes the names of all registered institutions in the press and on its official website – www.accreditation.gov.gd.  Also, all registered institutions are placed on the National Register of Post-Secondary and Tertiary Institutions.  All institutions will be posted in the Government Gazette.

• Equivalence means that a foreign qualification is comparable to a specifically identified qualification officially issued in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

• Equivalent qualifications may allow you to gain entry to ‘further study’ in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique and may even earn you ‘credit transfers’ for existing qualifications. The institution receiving the credits makes the final decision on the acceptability and value of the credits towards the completion of its qualifications.

• Statements on Recognition/Verification: GNAB issues official statements on the accreditation and/or recognition status of foreign and local institutions and the qualifications they award.

  • Normal Processing Time: 10 business days
  • Processing Fee: EC $100/qualification

• Equivalency Assessment: GNAB issues official statements on the equivalence of foreign qualifications to national qualifications.

  • Normal Processing Time: minimum of 15 working days
  • Processing Fee: EC $250.00/qualification.

GNAB will continuously scan the post-secondary and tertiary education sector to detect the existence of potential diploma mills operating in or offering qualifications to Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique nationals. Additionally, GNAB will disseminate information on ‘diploma mills’ and other such ‘fraudulent’ tertiary level institutions through advertisements, bulletins and other forms of media to inform the public of such institutions operating in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

GNAB also aims to increase awareness among students, employers and other stakeholders of the importance of pursuing post-secondary and tertiary level study at recognised institutions and seeking qualifications that will be accepted by employers and institutions locally, regionally and globally.

Detecting ‘diploma mills’ can be difficult, but fraudulent post-secondary and tertiary institutions generally exhibit common features. Look for:

• Names that are similar to those of well-known colleges or universities.
• Declaration of accreditation from ‘bogus’ or un-recognised accrediting bodies.
• Frequent changes of address or administrative offices housed in rented mailboxes.

For more information, visit our Document Library and see “Diploma Mills”

A professional body is a group of people in a specialised occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation. Professional regulatory bodies in many countries play a significant role in the oversight of education, training and certification linked to the profession.

GNAB has embarked on developing collaborative relationships with professional regulatory bodies, professional associations, regulatory agencies, employers and other related stakeholders.

• A National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF) is a system that defines the levels at which qualifications may be awarded in a particular country. A NQCF assists in standardising qualifications by defining titles, outcomes of qualifications at each level, the rules for credit accumulation and transfer, and the relationship between qualifications.

GNAB is currently collaborating with stakeholders towards the establishment of a National Qualifications and Credit Framework (NQCF) for Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. This foundation project will involve the development of criteria and standards that provide for:

• the award of qualifications
• recognition of qualifications
• increased horizontal and vertical articulation
• transferability of credits
• increased intra- and extra- regional mobility of skills

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the process of determining whether the learning acquired from life and work experiences can count toward tertiary level credit. The emphasis is on what is learnt from the experiences, rather than on the experiences themselves. GNAB will embark on a survey of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) policies among post-secondary and tertiary institutions in Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique.

GNAB creates, manage and maintain appropriate databases of accredited institutions and recognised programmes for the internal management of information. Further initiatives of GNAB include:

• working with regional and international accrediting bodies to ensure mutual recognition of qualifications
• regional collaboration towards development of a Regional Qualifications Framework endorsed by CARICOM and the Caribbean Accrediting Agency for Higher Education.