This guide tables the fees CAHME publishes for programs seeking and holding its accreditation, with the condition CAHME attaches to each. The figures come from CAHME's FY 2026 and FY 2027 schedule and its explanatory PDF, both opened October 3, 2026. Verify current fees with CAHME.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What CAHME publishes and where
CAHME posts two fee documents. The first is a web page, CAHME, FY 2026 & FY 2027 Fee Schedule, page opened October 3, 2026. It covers academic years July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 and July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, and holds the annual program fees flat into FY 2027.
The second is a PDF reached from that page, CAHME, Explanation of Fees (PDF), document opened October 3, 2026. Its pages carry the revision date 6/30/2025, although the file name ends in 2026_06_30, so confirm which date applies. It explains when each fee is charged. If the two documents differ, it defers to the website schedule, and it reserves CAHME's right to alter fees on its own judgment. Timings and conditions below come from the PDF unless the text names the fee page.
The fee tables
Before accreditation
| Fee (CAHME label) | Amount | When and to whom it applies, as the sources state it |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility Fee | $2,650 | The first charge. CAHME bills it once it accepts the eligibility statement the program filed. The PDF says a second eligibility fee is owed if a candidacy application sent back for changes is resubmitted after more than one year. |
| Annual Maintenance Fee | $850 | Begins once eligibility is accepted. Billed each year, due by July 1, and it stops when the program is approved into candidacy. The fee page says it includes access to CARE, CAMP and CARB when annual report data is submitted. The PDF names the third system C-Benchmarks and states no data condition. |
| Candidacy Application Fee | $5,700 | Billed with the candidacy application, when the program files it. |
| Candidacy Annual Fee | $3,050 | Billed every year in candidacy, due by July 1. The first bill depends on timing. A spring grant brings the full amount for the coming year right away. A fall grant brings half the amount for the current year. |
| Supplemental Candidacy Annual Fee | $850 | An extra yearly line on top of the Candidacy Annual Fee for a program that runs in more than one modality. |
| Initiation Fee | $10,150 | Initial accreditation only. Fee page: billed when the program is notified of its site visit date. PDF: billed when CAHME tells the program its self-study year and the estimated period for the visit. The PDF separately says the exact visit date is confirmed during the self-study year. |
| Supplemental Initiation Fee | $1,550 | Initial accreditation only, for a program in more than one modality. Fee page: billed when the program is notified of its site visit date. The PDF says it is not charged again after accreditation if it was paid during candidacy. A modality added later instead brings the Substantive Change Application Fee and the New Track Initiation Fee. |
| Second Tries (PDF only) | $5,075 | A new program that does not win accreditation the first time pays for another round of review. The PDF sets it at half the Initiation Fee. |
Accredited programs
| Annual fee (CAHME label) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base fee, 1-75 enrolled students | $6,100 |
| 76-200 enrolled students | $6,550 |
| 201-350 enrolled students | $7,200 |
| 351-500 enrolled students | $7,950 |
| More than 500 enrolled students | $7,950 plus $6.00 per student over 500 |
| Supplemental Annual Fee (more than one modality, added yearly) | $950 |
The PDF ties the first annual bill to when the Board acts. A fall grant of initial accreditation brings half the annual fee by December 1, then the full fee the following July 1. A spring grant brings the full fee for the coming year. Programs already re-accredited pay each July 1.
Other fees
| Fee (CAHME label) | Amount | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| New Track Substantive Change Application Fee | $550 | For an accredited program adding a track. Fee page: billed when the program files the New Track Application Form. The PDF also bills it on submission of the application, and says it applies when the added modality was not introduced during candidacy. |
| New Track Initiation Fee | $1,000 | For an accredited program adding a track. Billed after the substantive change is approved (PDF: by the Substantive Change Committee). |
| Consultative Campus Visit (per day) | $3,200 plus expenses incurred | A visit a program requests on top of its regular site visits. Billed once the date is set (PDF). |
| Site Visit Delay Fee | $4,450 | PDF: a program being re-accredited can ask to move its visit back six months or one year, and it owes this fee as soon as the delay is granted. The fee page adds expenses incurred, if any. |
| Site Visitor Travel Expenses | Invoiced as expensed | Per the PDF, CAHME reimburses the core site visit team, then bills the program after the visit, payable within 30 days of receipt. Observer costs are not charged to the program. A program may pay the hotel directly if it arranges that with CAHME. |
| Desk Review Fee | $10,150 | A virtual review (PDF) of whether a second modality fits within the current accreditation decision. Fee page: billed when the program is notified of the review date. PDF: billed when the program accepts the review. |
| 1st Level Appeal | $9,800 | Sent in with the program's notice that it intends to appeal (PDF). |
| 2nd Level Appeal | All direct and indirect costs (PDF: all reasonable ones) | The PDF says the appealing program bears them whatever the outcome. They include travel, lodging, meals, printing, shipping and legal fees for both the program and CAHME. CAHME gives an estimate before the program decides to proceed. |
| Late report fee | $750 | Fee page: a late annual, self-study or progress report. The PDF also lists candidacy status reports, adds $250 for each additional month late, and says the Board may assess these fees. |
| Payment late fee | $250 per month | Fee page: accounts more than 90 days late. PDF: invoices not paid within 90 days. |
| Credit card convenience fee | 4% | Charged on top of any invoice the program pays by card. |
Core Learning Center subscription
| Program type | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligibility submitted, candidacy in process, Candidate or accredited | $1,200 | $2,400 | $3,500 |
| All other programs | $1,800 | $3,600 | $5,200 |
Fee page: a program in the second group that submits its eligibility application while its subscription is still running gets $500 off the eligibility fee. The PDF says the subscription period follows the fiscal year, July 1 through June 30.
How the fee structure works
The schedule has four kinds of charge. Stage fees are normally one-time charges at eligibility, candidacy application and initiation, with two repeats in the PDF: a second eligibility fee after a late resubmission, and the Second Tries charge for a program not accredited on its first attempt. Annual fees run in sequence, maintenance then candidacy annual then accredited program, each starting as status changes. Event fees follow a delay, desk review, appeal or late report. Site visitor travel is passed through at cost.
Two inputs choose the row. Enrollment sets the accredited fee band, and the number of modalities decides whether supplemental lines apply. The fee page footnote lists multi-campus, multi-site (executive, online or residential), multiple tracks and multiple degrees under the same administration. The PDF lists multi-campus programs, each delivery modality starting at the second (executive or online), multiple tracks and multiple degrees under the same administration. Neither source says who sets the modality count at application or how enrollment is counted, so settle both with CAHME in writing before budgeting.
What the schedule does not include
- The amount of site visitor travel. Both documents say only that it is billed at actual cost.
- A rate for administrative services CAHME performs on request. The PDF says they are billed hourly with an estimate first.
- Certification fees. The PDF lists a $4,900 annual fee for Founding Members of the Healthcare Quality and Safety and Population Health Management certifications, which no longer take new applications. This guide leaves them out.
Reading the schedule
This is arithmetic on the published figures, not a quote or an estimate of any bill. It leaves out the Core Learning Center, travel, late and card fees. Verify current fees with CAHME.
- Stage fees on a first-attempt initial path: $2,650 + $5,700 + $10,150 = $18,500.
- With one year of maintenance and one full candidacy year: $18,500 + $850 + $3,050 = $22,400. Totals depend on years spent in each status.
- A fall candidacy grant is invoiced half of $3,050, or $1,525, for that year.
- An accredited program with 600 students pays $7,950 + (100 x $6.00) = $8,550, or $9,500 with one added modality ($8,550 + $950).
Where this fits
The main page, CAHME Healthcare Management Education Accreditation Consulting, covers the 2026 standards, the path from eligibility to site visit, how IHS helps, a readiness checklist and how CAHME compares with other routes. This page adds the full fee tables.
What this is not
- It is not a copy of CAHME's schedule. CAHME's documents control, and they can change.
- It is not an estimate of what any program will pay.
- It is not IHS pricing. IHS does not set, collect or pass through CAHME fees, and IHS does not submit anything to CAHME for a program.
IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.
Frequently asked questions
What does CAHME charge before a program is accredited?
CAHME lists an Eligibility Fee of $2,650, a Candidacy Application Fee of $5,700, a Candidacy Annual Fee of $3,050 for each year in candidacy and an Initiation Fee of $10,150, plus an $850 Annual Maintenance Fee until candidacy is approved. Verify current fees with CAHME.
Which CAHME fees come back every year?
Annual Maintenance recurs until candidacy is approved, the Candidacy Annual Fee recurs for each candidacy year, and the accredited program fee recurs after accreditation. Supplemental annual fees apply to programs with more than one modality.
Does enrollment change what an accredited program pays?
Yes. The annual base fee runs from $6,100 for 1 to 75 students to $7,950 for 351 to 500 students, plus $6.00 per student over 500. The sources do not say how enrollment is counted, so ask CAHME.
Which document controls if the fee page and the PDF differ?
If the two differ, the PDF defers to the schedule on CAHME's website, and it reserves CAHME's right to alter fees on its own judgment. The documents word a few triggers differently, for example when the Initiation Fee and Desk Review Fee are billed, and the PDF's file name carries a 2026 date while its pages say 6/30/2025. Verify current fees with CAHME.
What happens if a program pays CAHME late?
The fee page lists $250 per month for accounts more than 90 days late and $750 for a late annual, self-study or progress report. The PDF says accredited status is withheld while any fee is unpaid, and it cites CAHME By-Laws under which a program more than 90 days in default on dues or assessments is terminated automatically. Verify current fees with CAHME.
Does IHS set or collect CAHME fees?
No. CAHME sets its fees and invoices the program. IHS scopes each engagement after a free introductory call.