Credentialing

Hi all,

I'm curious how other credentialing agencies handle application refunds and would appreciate learning about your policies and practices. 

If an applicant applies through the wrong eligibility pathway but is otherwise eligible for an alternative pathway, do you:

• refund the application fee automatically?
• transfer the application fee to the alternative / correct pathway?
• wait for the applicant to request the refund? If so, do you set a time limit on the refund eligibility?
• deny the refund?

Similarly, if an applicant submits an application but is deemed ineligible for the credential, do you:

• refund the application fee automatically, only upon request within a timeframe, or not at all?

Thanks in advance!

Serena

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Serena Sowin
Director Professional Standards
National Association of School Psychologists
Bethesda MD
(301) 657-0270
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Hi Serena,

When our applicants submit their application, the fee includes an application fee plus their first exam administration fee.

Here is our refund policy:

If your application is cancelled or denied for any reason, you will receive a refund of your fee minus a $160 nonrefundable processing fee.

No refunds will be issued 90 days after the application approval date.

After that, there is some nuance to how we manage each refund.

• Should a candidate contact us that they want to apply to a different pathway, we process a refund. They will need to start a new application because we don't automatically transfer them to the other pathway since they may need to adjust their application submission documentation.
• If we haven't processed the first application, we can refund the application fee. But if we've already done that work, no refund.
• Candidates have to request refunds. They are not processed automatically.
• If we review the application and they are denied, we refund the testing fee but not the application fee.
• All of these situations must still be in the 90 days noted in the policy.

Hope that helps!

Erica

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Erica Brown CAE
Director, Certification
ASIS International
Alexandria VA
(703) 519-6200
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Thank you, Erica. This is very helpful! 

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Serena Sowin
Director Professional Standards
National Association of School Psychologists
Bethesda MD
(301) 657-0270
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Original Message:
Sent: Jul 14, 2026 09:55 AM
From: Erica Brown, CAE
Subject: What is your refund policy on credentialing fees?

Hi Serena,

When our applicants submit their application, the fee includes an application fee plus their first exam administration fee.

Here is our refund policy:

If your application is cancelled or denied for any reason, you will receive a refund of your fee minus a $160 nonrefundable processing fee.

No refunds will be issued 90 days after the application approval date.

After that, there is some nuance to how we manage each refund.

• Should a candidate contact us that they want to apply to a different pathway, we process a refund. They will need to start a new application because we don't automatically transfer them to the other pathway since they may need to adjust their application submission documentation.
• If we haven't processed the first application, we can refund the application fee. But if we've already done that work, no refund.
• Candidates have to request refunds. They are not processed automatically.
• If we review the application and they are denied, we refund the testing fee but not the application fee.
• All of these situations must still be in the 90 days noted in the policy.

Hope that helps!

Erica

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Erica Brown CAE
Director, Certification
ASIS International
Alexandria VA
(703) 519-6200
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Hi Serena, 

Our applicants begin with a dynamic application, meaning it asks a series of questions on the back end to ensure the user is completing the correct application. Working through the branching can be time-consuming but saves so much in the long run in terms of user experience and staff time to determine and process refunds. 

Applicants for our national credentialing exam pay an application fee of $375 when completing their application.

• If a retake is needed they must reapply and pay the exam fee again.
• All fees must be paid by card or with a pre-paid voucher code. 
• You may change your selected examination window once for a $90 administrative fee, per application. After the one-time window transfer to the very next exam window, you will not be able to move your exam again and will need to reapply and pay the full exam fee for additional attempts.
• Window transfer requests must be submitted via email either 48 hours before your scheduled exam appointment or before the end of the window if you have not yet scheduled your exam.
• The application fee and any administration fees charged to change the exam window are nonrefundable.

I hope this information is helpful! 
Amy 

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Dr. Amy Farmer, CAE
Senior Director of Business Processes
American Association of Veterinary State Boards
Overland Park, KS
afarmer@aavsb.org
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