Cortiva Institute - Florida was one of the first massage therapy schools in Florida to become accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).

As a consumer, it may not be clear to you the many differences which exist between licensed massage therapy schools, approved massage schools, and even 'accredited' schools. In order to better inform you about those various descriptive phrases, please consider the following.

Massage schools which are licensed by a state agency pay a fee to that state licensing agency, meet guidelines established by the licensing agency, and usually file an annual report to that agency. Cortiva Institute - Florida is licensed by our state agency, the Florida Commission for Independent Education and our school license number is 585.

"Approval" or "Member" status may be granted to a massage therapy school by a department, agency, or professional organization. Again, minimal standards set by the entity have been met, reports may be filed on an annual basis, and dues are usually paid to maintain that status. We are a member of the American Massage Therapy Association's Council of Schools (COS), the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professional's organization (ABMP), the Florida State Massage Therapy Association, and we are approved for the training of eligible veterans.

"Accreditation" can provide an additional layer of consumer protection, and access to federal financial aid, but the consumer should still be aware that there those who advertise accredited status, even though the accreditation itself is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A listing of recognized accrediting agencies can be found at the Office of Post-Secondary Education website .