ABFSE American Board of Funeral Service Education

Welcome

The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)
The ABFSE serves as the national academic accreditation agency for college and university programs in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science Education. Although its roots go back to the 1940's, the ABFSE became an autonomous agency in 1962. The accrediting function of ABFSE is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation

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ABFSE 64th Annual Meeting - Friday, April 17, 2026
9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Livestream Link: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/m26045161516744

Accreditation Manual Update

COMMENT PERIOD IS CLOSED

Accreditation Manual (approved October 2025)
Summary of Manual Revisions
Accreditation Manual (previous version)

Find an ABFSE Accredited Program or School

Review of Standards

ABFSE engages in a review of the Accreditation Standards every five (5) years. The process was initiated in summer/fall 2022 and recommended changes were presented for comment.

Acceptance of the Accreditation Standards was finalized at the COA Meeting in April 2024.
Click here for Standards (PDF) - effective January 1, 2025

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About Embalming: History, theory, practice
(available March 2022)

Embalming: History, Theory, and Practice
Sixth Edition: 9781260010077:
Medicine - Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

To obtain instructor resources for Embalming: History, Theory, and
Practice, 6e, email Sydney Keen (sydney.keen@mheducation.com)

Download Press Release (PDF)

How to order from Amazon

www.amazon.com

Embalming Textbook - Click here for details

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Meet the Scholarship Recipients

In the past academic year, ABFSE received 78 undergraduate scholarship inquiries in October 2025. Four (4) Graduate scholarship applications were received.

Eight (8) undergraduate scholarships were awarded for a total of $12,500.

Four (4) Larry Cleveland Graduate Scholarships were awarded for a total of $8,000.

Meet our recipients. Scholarships are made possible due to the generosity of the Scholarship Sponsors recognized below.

ABFSE Scholarship Recipient - Elizabeth Mikkelsen

ABFSE Scholarship Recipient - Precious Montgomery

ABFSE Scholarship Recipient - Taylor Price

ABFSE Scholarship Recipient - Amanda Schmidt

Mar'Teze Hammond
John A. Gupton College

Madryn Hegelman
Wayne State University

Elizabeth Mikkelsen
Hudson Valley Community College
View bio here

Precious Montgomery
Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service
View bio here

Taylor Price
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science
View bio here

Amanda Schmidt
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science
View bio here

Kileigh McDaniel
Carl Sandburg College


Learn more about:
•	ABFSE Calendar
•	ABFSE 2026 Annual Conference
•	ABFSE Accreditation Standards
•	Funeral Service Profession
•	Where are the accredited programs?
•	Accreditation/COA
•	Questions for COA
•	Degree Mills
•	Resource Links
•	Contact Us
You served your country in the armed forces. What’s Next? Have you considered the Funeral Service Profession? Click here for more information.
•	Town Hall and Professional Development notes Click here for more info

The National
Scholarship Program
of the American
Board of Funeral Service Education provides financial awards to students enrolled in funeral service or mortuary science programs to assist them in obtaining their professional education.

Apply for your Scholarship Online!