ARC-PA publishes three separate fee schedules, one for entry-level PA programs, one for clinical postgraduate residency programs and one for post-professional doctoral programs. This page sets out the entry-level schedule in full, adds the other two, and explains which charges recur and which depend on an event. Every figure comes from ARC-PA's fee pages, linked below.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What ARC-PA publishes and where
The entry-level schedule sits on its own page, dated as of May 1, 2026 (ARC-PA, Entry-level Accreditation Fees, page opened October 3, 2026). The postgraduate residency schedule (ARC-PA, Postgraduate Residency Fee Structure, page opened October 3, 2026) and the post-professional doctoral schedule (ARC-PA, Post-Professional Doctoral Program Fee Structure, page opened October 3, 2026) are separate pages, and neither shows an as-of date. Confirm which schedule covers your program type before using any figure below.
Entry-level fee schedule
Charges for entry-level programs, as listed on ARC-PA's page (source, page opened October 3, 2026). Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
| Charge | Amount | Condition stated on the page |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional Application Eligibility Fee | $2,000 | Non-refundable. The page describes it as the eligibility step. |
| Provisional Application Fee | $65,000 | Non-refundable. The page makes receipt of this fee and a provisional letter of intent the trigger for agenda placement. |
| Agenda Change Fee | $2,000 | Charged each time a program asks to be moved. The new slot has to fall within 2 years of the original agenda and depends on availability. |
| Distant Campus Application Fee | $7,500 | Charged per application. ARC-PA treats a campus away from the main program as a distant campus when some or all of its students take didactic or preclinical instruction there. |
| Interval Assessment Fee, Provisional Monitoring | $10,000 | Includes site visit expense. |
| Interval Assessment Fee, Final Provisional (transition to continuing) | $10,000 | Includes site visit expense. |
| Interval Assessment Fee, Probation Monitoring | $10,000 | Includes site visit expense. |
| Interval Assessment Fee, Focused Assessment | $10,000 | Plus direct site visit expenses if a visit is required. |
| Reconsideration | $10,000 | Listed with the appeal fee. |
| Appeal | $40,000 | The Appeals Policy details further expenses (policy not opened). |
| Non-sufficient Funds Fee | $35 | Each returned check. |
Annual Accreditation Maintenance Fee, by billing date:
| Charge | Billing date | Amount | Period covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Accreditation Maintenance Fee | May 1, 2025 | $25,000 | 07.01.25 to 06.30.26 |
| Annual Accreditation Maintenance Fee | May 1, 2026 | $28,000 | 07.01.26 to 06.30.27 |
| Annual Accreditation Maintenance Fee | May 1, 2027 | $31,000 | 07.01.27 to 06.30.28 |
Annual fees paid 45 days late draw a 10% late charge. A footnote prorates the current year's maintenance fee for a program newly awarded provisional status.
How the fee structure works
The schedule has three kinds of charge. Entry charges are the eligibility fee and the application fee. The recurring charge is the annual maintenance fee, which steps up each year. Event charges apply only when something happens: an interval assessment, an agenda move, an added distant campus, a reconsideration or appeal, a returned check.
Read the interval assessment line closely. Three of its four categories bundle the site visit into the $10,000. The focused assessment does not: direct visit expenses are added if a visit takes place. The schedule does not say when each event charge is invoiced, so ask ARC-PA how timing is set.
Other ARC-PA fee schedules
Clinical postgraduate residency programs (source, page opened October 3, 2026). Verify current fees with ARC-PA. The initial application fee is paid once by the institution, and the amount rises with the number of specialty tracks it runs.
| Specialty tracks at the institution | Initial application fee (non-refundable) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,500 |
| 2 | $4,000 |
| 3 | $5,500 |
| 4 | $6,500 |
| 5 | $7,500 |
| 6 | $8,500 |
| 7 | $9,500 |
| 8 | $10,500 |
| 9 | $11,500 |
| 10 | $12,500 |
| Beyond 10 (the page lists 10+) | $750 for each additional track |
The same page lists a $2,000 annual maintenance fee that covers the institution as a whole rather than each accredited track, for each of 07.01.26 to 06.30.27 and 07.01.27 to 06.30.28. It lists a $2,000 agenda change fee, and for appeals a $5,000 notice of intent to appeal, a $12,500 appeal process fee and a $35,000 binding arbitration fee, each per program. A footnote prorates the first maintenance bill for a program newly awarded Accreditation Continued, counting from its initial site visit through the end of that year.
Post-professional doctoral programs (source, page opened October 3, 2026). Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
The page lists a $5,000 annual maintenance fee for each of three one-year periods (billed May 1 of 2026, 2027 and 2028), a $2,000 non-refundable eligibility fee and an $8,000 non-refundable provisional application fee. Its interval assessment fee is $6,000 for each of four categories, the focused assessment adding direct site visit expenses if required. Agenda change is $2,000, reconsideration $10,000, appeal $40,000 and a returned check $35. As on the entry-level page, the appeal line points to further expenses in the Appeals Policy.
That schedule also carries the 10% late charge and a prorated maintenance bill for the first year.
What the schedule does not include
- Site visit expense outside the three categories that fold it in. The focused assessment adds direct expenses, and the page gives no amount for them.
- The other appeal expenses, which sit in the Appeals Policy.
- Faculty, clinical site and institutional costs. The schedules list ARC-PA's charges only.
- Maintenance amounts past the period ending 06.30.28.
Reading the schedule
This is arithmetic on the published figures. It is not an estimate of any program's bill, and the schedule does not say who decides which charges apply. Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
- Entry charges for the entry-level route add to $67,000 ($2,000 plus $65,000).
- The three listed maintenance amounts add to $84,000 ($25,000 plus $28,000 plus $31,000). The footnote on first-year proration means a new provisional program's first year is not a full-year amount.
- If a program were charged for one interval assessment in each of the four listed categories, the fixed $10,000 amounts would add to $40,000, before any direct site visit expenses on a focused assessment. The schedule does not say how many categories a given program would face.
- Reconsideration and appeal at the entry-level amounts add to $50,000 if both were pursued, before other appeal expenses.
Questions to put to ARC-PA
- Which schedule and which as-of date apply to your program type.
- Which interval assessments your program is expected to face, and when.
- What the Appeals Policy lists as other appeal expenses.
Where this fits
The ARC-PA physician assistant program accreditation readiness page covers the Sixth Edition standards, the provisional and continued statuses, what a sponsor needs in place and how IHS prepares a program for review. This page covers the fee schedules only.
What this is not
- It is not ARC-PA's text. The figures are as seen on the pages linked above on October 3, 2026, and ARC-PA can change them.
- It is not IHS pricing. IHS does not set, bill or collect any ARC-PA fee. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
- It is not a budget or a forecast of what a program will pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which entry-level ARC-PA fees apply to a program that wants to start?
The entry-level schedule lists a $2,000 Provisional Application Eligibility Fee and a $65,000 Provisional Application Fee. Both are non-refundable. The page ties agenda placement to receipt of the provisional letter of intent and the application fee, and it gives no invoice dates for either charge. Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
Does the annual maintenance fee stay at one amount?
No. The entry-level schedule steps from $25,000 to $28,000 to $31,000 across three consecutive July-to-June periods ending 06.30.28. A footnote prorates the current year's amount for a program newly awarded Accreditation-Provisional. Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
Are site visits priced separately in the entry-level schedule?
For three of the four interval assessment categories, the schedule says the $10,000 fee includes site visit expense. For the fourth, the Focused Assessment, the schedule adds direct visit expenses if a visit takes place. Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
What does it cost to ask for reconsideration or to appeal?
The entry-level schedule lists $10,000 for reconsideration and $40,000 for an appeal, and says the appeal amount is in addition to other expenses described in ARC-PA's Appeals Policy. We did not open the Appeals Policy, so we cannot say what those other expenses are. Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
Do clinical postgraduate programs and post-professional doctoral programs pay the same fees?
No. ARC-PA publishes a separate fee structure for each, with different application, maintenance and appeal amounts. This page shows both as published. Verify current fees with ARC-PA.
Does IHS set or collect any of these fees?
No. ARC-PA publishes its own fee schedules and bills programs under them. IHS does not set or collect them. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.