§ 96.111 - Fees charged for temporary accreditation.

(a) Any fees charged by an accrediting entity for temporary accreditation will include a non-refundable fee for temporary accreditation set forth in a schedule of fees approved by the Secretary as provided in §96.8(a). Such fees may not exceed the costs of temporary accreditation and must include the costs of all activities associated with the temporary accreditation cycle (including, but not limited to, costs for completing the temporary accreditation process, complaint review and investigation, routine oversight and enforcement, and other data collection and reporting activities). The temporary accreditation fee may not include the costs of site visit(s). The schedule of fees may provide, however, that, in the event that a site visit is required to determine whether to approve an application for temporary accreditation, to investigate a complaint or other information, or otherwise to monitor the agency, the accrediting entity may assess additional fees for actual costs incurred for travel and maintenance of evaluators and for any additional administrative costs to the accrediting entity. In such a case, the accrediting entity may estimate the additional fees and may require that the estimated amount be paid in advance, subject to a refund of any overcharge. Temporary accreditation may be denied or withdrawn if the estimated fees are not paid.

(b) An accrediting entity must make its schedule of fees available to the public, including prospective applicants for temporary accreditation, upon request. At the time of application, the accrediting entity must specify the fees to be charged in a contract between the parties and must provide notice to the applicant that no portion of the fee will be refunded if the applicant fails to become temporarily accredited.