Higher Education Accreditation Accountability Act

Key Points

• Colleges would need Department of Education approval before switching to a new accrediting agency, closing a loophole that let schools escape tough oversight by moving to a friendlier accreditor.
• Schools that lost accreditation, were put on probation, or received a show cause order in the last two years would be automatically denied permission to switch accreditors, stopping them from dodging penalties.
• New accrediting agencies would get only a 3-year trial recognition period and must prove they have already accredited at least one school successfully for 2 years before applying.
• The Department would have to publish a public notice and run at least a 30-day public comment period every time a school applies to change its accreditor.
• Schools applying to switch accreditors must disclose pending student complaints and any law enforcement investigations, and explain how the change protects students rather than just avoiding scrutiny.