The Distance Education and Training Council (formerly National Home Study Council) has been the standard-setting agency for correspondence study and distance education institutions since it was established in 1926. Its purpose was, and still is today, "to foster and preserve high quality, educationally sound and widely accepted distance education and independent learning institutions."
The DETC Accrediting Commission performs the institutional accrediting functions of the DETC. DETC member institutions offer more than 500 different academic, vocational, and avocational courses by mail or by telecommunications. These courses often make use of specially written learning texts and quite often include audio-visual training devices, job enhancing materials, tools, computers, and other equipment. Course length ranges from a few weeks to over four years of study. Although most distance study institutions teach students entirely "at distance," some institutions offer courses which feature a combination of distance study and resident training. DETC institutions vary in size. Various Armed Forces distance study institutions have enrollments of more than 200,000 students, while other schools may have fewer than 200 students. The DETC conducts a continuing professional development program for distance study educators. Seminars and conferences devoted to distance education are held each year and are open to any individual with an interest in distance education.