While a major accreditor of for-profit schools has won a conditional reprieve from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and is pledging to continue correcting its deficiencies, some observers say the decision prioritizes the interests of schools over the well-being of students.
“The secretary’s decision is a pretty clear indicator of her commitment to protecting colleges, not students,” said Clare McCann, deputy director for federal policy with New America’s Higher Education Initiative.
DeVos – who had ties to the for-profit postsecondary education industry prior to joining the Trump administration and appointed some from that sector to advisory positions – is routinely criticized for decisions and policy proposals that seem to favor for-profit schools, even as many have been under fire in recent years for predatory practices. Last week, she announced reinstatement of federal recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) based on the recommendation of a senior official at the education department, which she oversees.
ACICS, whose recognition was withdrawn by the Obama administration in December 2016 because of compliance failures, accredits for-profit colleges and universities. The agency was overseeing Corinthian Colleges and ITT Educational Services when they collapsed in 2015 and 2016, respectively, under the weight of consumer lawsuits, government investigations and heavy sanctions.
The closures left thousands of students suddenly without a school, contributing to a complicated student-loan debt crisis that has emerged as one of the nation’s biggest financial concerns.
A federal judge set the stage for ACICS’ restoration last spring, ruling that the education department failed to consider some critical evidence before withdrawing recognition. The judge ordered the education department to review the matter.
According to a nine-page order DeVos issued Nov. 21, ACICS must submit a report within 12 months detailing full compliance concerning two identified deficiencies, as well as annual “monitoring reports” regarding four other criteria, which the 106-year-old, D.C.-based accreditor has pledged to do.
