Revised January 2026
Overview
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, Inc. reserves the right NOT to accept an application for processing and evaluation.
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 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.
Administrative Review Fee
- Revisions to issued evaluations are permitted within 30 days of the evaluation date.
- Name-change requests are not included under revision services.
- Any revision requested after 30 days requires a $50 administrative review fee.
Important: Adding a new credential, additional coursework, or a new degree certificate is not considered a revision. A new evaluation must be ordered for any newly submitted academic documentation.
Name Change Administrative Fee
To help keep your evaluation accurate, we use the name you entered on this application and confirm it with you before payment. If you need to make a change after your evaluation has been issued, a $50 administrative fee will apply.
Cancellation Policy:
Requesting cancellation before the start of our evaluation process* will result in a full refund less a 10 percent fee which is retained by FACS, Inc. Evaluations fees are non-refundable once FACS, Inc. has started the evaluation process. (*The evaluation process begins when all required documents have been received.) Please note: Translation fees (if ordered) are non-refundable. See below.
Translation Fees and Conditions
Non-Refundable After Work Commences:
Once translation work has begun following receipt of your documents, the translation fee becomes non-refundable. Translation services require immediate allocation of time and resources, which is why refunds cannot be issued after work has started.
Incorrect Document Submission:
If you submit incorrect documents, please contact us immediately. If translation work has not yet commenced, we will do our best to accommodate changes. However, if work has already started, the original translation fee remains non-refundable.
Cancellation Due to Change in Need:
If you no longer require the translation service after submitting your documents, please be aware that the fee is still non-refundable, as work typically begins promptly upon document receipt.
Applicable Law and Venue
In the event of any disputes between the applicant and FACS, such disputes shall be governed by Illinois law and shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court of Madison County, Illinois.
Limited Liability
FACS shall not be responsible for any incidental or consequential damages that an applicant may incur if the educational equivalency anticipated by the applicant is not issued as the evaluation report, based on FACS research, may differ from an applicant’s interpretation or that provided by another party. FACS shall not be liable for any damages resulting from the use of the evaluation report. Furthermore, the applicant agrees to reimburse FACS for any and all costs, including legal expenses, which may incur as a result of any claim that the applicant (or anyone else having any interest in the applicant’s earnings or services) may make, based on the recommended equivalency.
FACS makes no guarantees or warranties (expressed or implied) to process the application and complete the evaluation in the way anticipated by the applicant.
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.
Please contact us with any questions not addressed above.
Document Retention and Evaluation Validity
Evaluations issued by Foreign Academic Credentials Service, Inc. (FACS) on or after January 1, 2026 shall be valid for a period of five (5) years from the evaluation issue date. Upon expiration, the evaluation will no longer be considered current.
Scope
This policy applies to all credential evaluation reports issued by FACS on or after the effective date, regardless of evaluation type, purpose, or receiving institution, unless otherwise stated in writing by FACS.
Expiration Period
The five-year validity period begins on the official evaluation issue date shown on the report.
Evaluations issued prior to January 1, 2026 are not subject to this policy unless reissued or revised after the effective date.
Use of Expired Evaluations
Receiving institutions, licensing boards, employers, or other third parties may decline to accept evaluations that have exceeded the five-year validity period. FACS does not guarantee acceptance of expired evaluations.
Updates and Re-Evaluations
Clients with expired evaluations may request a new evaluation or re-evaluation in accordance with FACS’s current policies, procedures, and fee schedule in effect at the time of the request. Updated documentation may be required.
Exceptions
FACS reserves the right to grant exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis when required by a receiving authority or under extraordinary circumstances.
Policy Administration
This policy is administered by FACS and may be amended at any time without prior notice. The most current version will be posted on the FACS website or provided upon request.