Are You Eligible For HECA Membership?
The Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) is a professional association for college admissions consultants. Our members come from a variety of backgrounds, but all share a dedication to providing professional and ethical service to the families they serve.
HECA Membership dues are $375 annually. *
To be eligible to join HECA, you must:
- Hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited, not-for-profit college or university.
- Demonstrate experience:
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- As an educational consultant for 2 years, or
- As a high school counselor or college admissions officer for at least 2 years and having practiced as an independent educational consultant for at least 1 year and served a minimum of 10 students in that practice, or
- By providing proof of completion of a practicum based college counseling program that includes working directly with students under the supervision of an experienced professional. At this time these are the ONLY recognized programs we accept: UCLA College Counseling Certificate, UC Irvine Independent Educational Consultant Certificate, UC Riverside College Admissions Counseling Certificate and UC Berkeley Certificate in College Admissions and Career Planning.
- Have attended one or more professional college admissions conference within the last 18 months, and a minimum of 20 college visits within the last 12 months. Virtual visits are accepted on a 3:1 ratio.
- Provide ONE professional reference (examples include HECA Member, high school counselor, college admissions staff) that can attest to your professional work ethic and pathway. The recommendation MUST be provided by one of the following: Active HECA Member, High School Counselor or a College Representative. A recommendation from one of the Certification Program Instructors WILL NOT be accepted. This recommendation must come from someone who you have worked with, has known you for more than one year, and can attest to your work with students and families.
- Provide documentation of evidence of completion of highest degree and, if appropriate, a copy of an approved certificate program (UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and UC Berkeley). Documents must be scanned and sent to membership@hecaonline.org.
- Commit to ongoing professional development through attendance at conferences, workshops and through visits to college and university campuses.
- Agree to abide by HECA's member Standards and Ethics Statement (Note: you will be asked to agree to these when you apply for membership).
- Attend HECA's new member orientation within a year of joining. Once you're approved for membership, you may satisfy this requirement at HECA's annual conference, or by attending an online new member orientation session.
If you believe you are eligible for membership in HECA, the next step in applying for membership is to review HECA's expectations for members.
If you do not meet the full eligibility requirements, you may be eligible as a Provisional Member. Check HERE for Provisional Member requirements.
HECA is an organization comprised of individual members. In a multi-person practice, each IEC is eligible for membership in HECA and their membership application will be reviewed individually. HECA membership benefits are extended to an individual, not a member.
If you are interested in becoming an IEC but don't have any experience yet, click HERE for some ideas on how to get started.
*HECA's membership cycle is March 1 through February 28. Membership for new members joining HECA from March 1 through November 30 will expire February 28 of the following year. Those who join between December 1 and February 28 will receive membership through the rest of the current membership cycle plus the next membership cycle (up to 15 months).
