Helms College has been granted full reaccreditation for five years by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET), the national accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The action affirms the college’s academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and commitment to student success through August 31, 2030.

The accreditation decision was approved at ACCET’s December 2025 Commission meeting following a comprehensive review that included on-site evaluations at Helms College’s Augusta and Macon campuses, along with an assessment of institutional practices, academic delivery, and student outcomes.

ACCET’s Commission commended Helms College for its commitment to continuous improvement and expressed confidence in the institution’s ability to sustain high-quality education and training in alignment with national accreditation standards.

Central to Helms College’s success is its applied learning model, which integrates classroom instruction with hands-on training in real-world environments—ensuring students graduate prepared to transition directly into the workforce. As a nonprofit career college operated by Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA, Helms College is intentionally designed to remove barriers to education and create clear pathways to economic mobility for individuals and families across the region.

“This five-year accreditation is a powerful validation of the work our faculty, staff, and students do every day,” said James Stiff, President of Helms College and Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA. “Helms College exists to create real pathways to opportunity. This recognition affirms that our education model—grounded in hands-on learning and real-world application—delivers meaningful value to students and to the communities we serve.”

ACCET accreditation requires institutions to meet rigorous benchmarks for student completion and graduate placement. Based on the most recent ACCET-approved, closed-cohort data reviewed and accepted by the Commission, Helms College achieved an institution-wide completion rate of 81.29%and a graduate placement rate of 80.72% across its campuses—exceeding national benchmarks and underscoring the college’s focus on outcomes that lead to employment.

“This accreditation reflects our culture of accountability and our unwavering focus on educational quality,” said Kristine Furtaw, Senior Vice President of Education Operations at Helms College. “We hold ourselves to high standards because our students are counting on us—not just for instruction, but for preparation, confidence, and careers that support long-term success.”

Helms College is a nonprofit, accredited career college and a wholly owned subsidiary of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA. The college offers degree, diploma, and certificate programs in high-demand fields, including culinary arts, baking and pastry, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R), retail operations management, and healthcare support programs. Programs are approved across Helms College’s Augusta and Macon campuses, as well as multiple auxiliary instructional sites.

More information about Helms College and its programs is available at www.helms.edu.