In addition, there will be a price increase to submit an application to become an Approved Provider. The cost will be $750 of which $100 is a non-refundable application fee. Once approved, the Approved Provider status is good for three years with no additional charge during that period. This price increase is effective for new applications and organizations when they are due to renew. Note: This new fee does apply to SHRM Affiliates that are submitting an application to become an Approved Provider. Also, please note that the following criteria are applicable to SHRM Affiliates that are considering the submission of an application:

• the SHRM Affiliate must employ a paid, full-time administrator
• the SHRM Affiliate must meet all other requirements of the Approved Provider Program listed at www.hrci.org

The HRCI Approved Provider program allows organizations that host a number of HR-related continuing education events during the year to determine and communicate recertification credit themselves. HRCI Approved Providers are permitted to use the HRCI Approved Provider seal in marketing materials and other publications.

The programs were designed using the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) authorized provider criteria for awarding continuing education credit. HRCI also benchmarked with other certification programs offering approved or preferred programs. By using IACET standards and benchmarking with other organizations, HRCI believes that pre-approved events meet the highest standards in the continuing education industry.

In 2004, HRCI started work on a multi-phased certificant management system that allows PHR, SPHR and GPHR certified professionals to track their continuing education activities online. Work did not stop there, and in November 2005, HRCI launched the organization management portion of that system. This organization management module integrates the online recertification file with the HRCI Approved Provider programs.

HRCI Approved Providers may now record events they have designated as pre-approved for recertification credit in their online accounts. All events will be assigned program ID numbers, which should be communicated to event attendees in either on-site materials or a certificate of completion.

The new organization management module:

• Establishes individual accounts for all HRCI Approved Providers
• Allows the host organization to review recorded HR-related continuing education events.
• Assigns a unique program ID for all approved events.
• Allows host organizations to designate specified hours in strategic management and international HR.
• Integrates the organization management and certificant management systems for immediate approval of HRCI Approved Provider events for PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification candidates using the online recertification file.

This portion of the HRCI website provides detailed information about how to access and/or establish an HRCI Approved-for-Credit account, how to record programs designated for HRCI recertification credit, how to calculate recertification credit hours, how to use the HRCI Approved for Credit seal and more.

• The HRCI approved-for-credit program
• The HRCI approved provider program

If you are an SHRM affiliate organization, please review pre-approval criteria in the SHRM Affiliate Guidebook to Pre-Approved Recertification Credit.

Click here to access your host organization's online account.