Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Education on Thursday released final regulations designed to revamp the college accreditation system based on Trump administration policy priorities.
- Under the new rule, which takes effect July 1, accreditors must consider a college’s policies and practices related to academic freedom and intellectual diversity. Accrediting agencies are barred from enforcing “illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements” as defined by the Trump administration.
- It will also be easier for new accreditors to gain federal approval. Instead of having to be active for at least two years before seeking recognition from the Education Department, they can meet alternative criteria such as establishing accreditation standards and operating procedures and receiving at least one application for college or program accreditation.
Dive Insight:
The Education Department said it made “no substantive changes” to the draft rule it released in August and largely retained the language agreed upon with a committee of higher education representatives in the spring. The outcome of that process, known as negotiated rulemaking, bound the agency to much of the approved text.
The final rule, set to publish Friday in the Federal Register, will ensure accrediting agencies “prioritize diversity of thought on campuses,” the agency said.
When evaluating a college, accreditors must consider if the institution has academic freedom and freedom of inquiry protections, as well as policies “designed to support, promote, and appropriately prioritize intellectual diversity and the free exchange of ideas amongst faculty,” per the final rule.
But the Education Department asserted, “contrary to the hyperbole exercised by several commenters,” the new regulations do not force accreditors to adopt specific standards in exchange for federal recognition.
An accreditor that doesn’t adopt a formal policy on academic freedom or intellectual diversity will not be found out of federal compliance solely on either basis, according to the final regulations.
“Rather, an accrediting agency must consider relevant institutional policies and practices in the context of its existing standards and the institution’s mission,” the Education Department said. “Where an agency has adopted standards addressing these matters, it must apply and enforce those standards consistently.”
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said Thursday that the final rule creates “a more competitive and transparent accreditation system” and increases accountability for colleges.
“For too long, accreditors have effectively served as a cartel to protect their interests, rather than the educational value that institutions of higher education are expected to deliver for students,” he said in a statement.
The Education Department accepted public comment on the rule for a month, the minimum window required by law. During that period, which the agency said “afforded the public a substantial opportunity for meaningful input,” it received some 7,000 responses.
Among them were requests by commenters to phase in the new accreditation regulations. The department rejected this request, saying “the eight months between November 2026 and July 2027 is sufficient time to update standards, policies, and procedures to achieve compliance.”
On Thursday, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation expressed disappointment with the final rule.
“Many of the central concerns raised by CHEA and the higher education community remain largely unresolved,” Nasser Paydar, the organization’s president, said in a statement. “Some of the provisions impose new requirements on accrediting organizations and institutions and prescribe aspects of how independent accrediting organizations carry out their work.”
Paydar also highlighted concerns around possible impacts on institutional academic freedom, as well as the potential for increased regulatory burdens and costs.
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