It's Time to Reform College Accreditation

America’s higher education system is facing an accountability crisis. Each year, millions of students enroll in colleges certified as “high quality” through the federal accreditation process. Such accreditation is required for students to receive federal student aid at that institution, making accreditors gatekeepers to major streams of funding. Some students may graduate and prosper, but many leave with debt, no degree, or credentials that fail to earn them a salary justifying the time and money invested.

In 2025, the Trump administration recognized the issues plaguing the accreditation system and issued an Executive Order to reform and strengthen higher education.

On August 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education released a proposed rule to overhaul the accreditation system with provisions including:

• Requiring accreditors to assess their member colleges’ outcomes at both the institution and program level and identify minimum expectations of student performance;

• Eliminating requirements for institutions to seek the Secretary of Education’s approval to modify accreditation policies from multiple agencies at the same time;

• Requiring accreditors to review whether a college or university maintains a policy prioritizing intellectual diversity

• Requiring accreditors to assess an institution’s compliance with all State and Federal laws (including protecting free speech and avoiding unlawful discrimination).

Americans have until September 21st to submit a comment.

Making meaningful structural changes to the accreditation framework will force meaningful change in higher education.

Submit your comment NOW!