The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday it will eliminate the rigorous review process previously required for colleges and universities seeking to change accreditors, a move critics warn could undermine educational quality standards.
The announcement, which implements parts of President Trump's Executive Order on "Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education," simultaneously lifts a moratorium on reviewing applications for new accrediting bodies.
In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon framed the policy change as promoting competition.
"We must foster a competitive marketplace both amongst accreditors and colleges and universities in order to lower college costs and refocus postsecondary education on improving academic and workforce outcomes for students and families." she said.
However, higher education policy experts expressed concerns that the streamlined process could enable institutions to evade accountability by shopping for less stringent accreditors.
The Department's new Dear Colleague Letter revokes guidance issued by the Biden administration in 2022 that had established a pre-clearance process for institutional accreditor changes. The new guidance explicitly allows institutions to change accreditors for reasons including finding one that "better aligns with a religious mission," accommodating shifts in academic programs, complying with state law requirements, or avoiding accreditors that impose "discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices and principles."
Education advocates worry the policy shift prioritizes institutional freedom over student protections.
