Membership

• Request updates to your Membership Profile by submitting a Profile Update Form.
• Dues already submitted will remain credited to the existing profile unless a formal request is made to transfer the dues paid to another staff member within the institution or organization.
• If a new job necessitates a switch in member category at a higher dues rate, the balance in dues may be assessed at the time of the update.  
• Information on job changes that will occur over the summer should be submitted BEFORE July 1 if the member would like their new role reflected in conference badges and publications.

2.  Changing Member Category

A member’s membership category with International ACAC must accurately reflect the member’s current roles and duties. 

• All International ACAC members are required to submit new details if their roles have changed from secondary or post-secondary school to independent education consultants (IEC) or another educational role.
• Any current active International ACAC member who requests a membership category change will be asked to submit updated details of their new organization; membership will need to be approved again.

• The membership year is based on the calendar year (January 1st through December 31st).
• All post-secondary institutions, secondary schools, and organizations (including CBOs, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations) with more than 3 employees must designate a "Primary Member". Additional employees of the same institution or organization may join as an "Additional Member".
• Institutional members must be paid employees of the institution listed on their application.
• Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are defined as, "Organizations whose primary function is to provide pro-bono college counseling services directly to students. The students they serve should have limited opportunities to access information about higher education and be located in a specific geographic zone."
• Independent counselors who hold voting membership in NACAC may register in the "Individual" category, regardless of the size of their organization. If that organization has more than three employees, it is possible that co-workers who do not have voting membership in NACAC would join under the "For-Profit Organization" category.
• Graduate student applicants (individual member) should be enrolled in an accredited graduate program and should be engaging in work related to international university admissions.
• New applicants in Individual and Organizational categories must provide a reference from a current International ACAC member. Download a list of current members by clicking here. For current members who need a reference guide on how to write an effective letter of reference, please see our Membership Reference Protocol Guide.
• New Individual and Organizational applicants will be approved or contacted by the Membership Committee within three to four weeks of submitting their application. Approved applicants will receive an invoice for dues, and will not be activated until payment is received.
• Organizations that offer college counseling services to students and also partner with colleges and universities to offer recruitment services are not eligible for International ACAC membership.
• For-profit colleges and universities are not eligible for membership in International ACAC.
• Start-up or new companies who do not have sufficient experience to qualify for International ACAC membership will be asked to reapply after six months to one year of operation with updated information on their organization, partnerships, and scope of work.
• Retired members should have previously been engaged in the international admissions industry. Members in this category should not be consistently employed in the international admissions industry in either a part-time or full-time role. Members in this category may take part in periodic consulting or freelance work within the industry, though the term of any source of income should be limited to less than one year.
• If a member cancels their membership within 30 days of renewal or approval, a refund of dues may be issued. No refund of dues will be issued more than 30 days after approval or renewal.
• **Note!** International ACAC reserves the right to cancel membership if dues remain unpaid for more than 30 days after renewal or approval.

Additional details on membership policies are available in the International ACAC Policies and Procedures.

International ACAC members in the above categories are either classified as "Voting" or "Associate Nonvoting" members. 

Voting membership classification is extended to:

• Accredited educational institutions 
  
• Not-for-profit organizations whose primary activities consist of providing counseling, admission, or financial aid services to students or to the college admission counseling or financial aid professions.
• Individuals who perform the majority of their duties outside of the United States
• Individuals who work in the United States whose primary duties are international
• Retired professionals who were actively engaged in providing counseling, admission or financial aid services
  

Voting Members may not be voting members of any other NACAC affiliate.  

Associate nonvoting membership classification is extended to:

• Educational institutions, organizations and individuals that are voting members of another NACAC affiliate
• Colleges and universities that are active candidates for accreditation
• For-profit organizations that provide products and/or services to the counseling, admission or financial aid professions or in support of students in the International ACAC region in the transition to postsecondary education
• Individuals employed by nonvoting member institutions and organizations whose professional activities consist primarily of counseling, admission or financial aid services

• All members of International ACAC must agree to follow the Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission.
• All members of International ACAC must agree to follow the Member Directory Use Policy.
• International ACAC is committed to bringing diversity to our organization and we seek to provide an environment in which diverse participants may learn, network and enjoy the company of colleagues in an environment of mutual human respect.
• We expect all members to conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner.  

Failure to adhere to these expectations may result in exclusion from future events, revocation of membership, or other disciplinary action at the discretion of the Executive Board. 

If you have experienced any issues with a current member of International ACAC and would like to inform International ACAC leadership, please submit the Member Conduct Reporting Form.

The revenue from dues supports a range of programs which ensure access for members facing financial barriers, including the Scholar Program, Conference Bursaries, Regional Institute Grants, Opportunity Grants, and Membership Dues Waivers. The confidence from membership for the dues update ensures that our commitment to programs that directly affect and assist members can be maintained; thank you to our members for supporting these initiatives of access and professional growth.

The Executive Board, and specifically the Vice President for Membership and Data, reviews the cost of dues on a regular basis in order to ensure fiscal responsibility and security for the organization and our programs. The amount for annual dues was most recently updated in October 2025. Read more about that update here.