Dive Brief:
- The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act will certainly include some required changes of accreditors, but an entirely new system seems very unlikely.
- Inside Higher Ed reports that accreditors are criticized for being too soft, for stopping innovation, and for requiring too much of institutions, though more proposals are recommending ways to complement the existing system rather than replace it.
- Granting federal aid eligibility to alternative providers partnering with accredited institutions to support innovation may be the first step in creating a separate agency without having to dismantle the system.
Dive Insight:
The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is two years overdue with no chance of making it through congress by the end of 2015. Gainful employment regulations, implemented by the U.S. Department of Education, have created a new level of accountability for colleges that offer vocational programs or degrees. Many, including the president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, believe accreditors will be forced to evolve into stronger arbiters of institutional performance based on student outcomes. The question, while Congress continues to debate HEA reauthorization, is how.