College Accountability: New Rules for School Quality and Student Success
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for accreditation reform, and for other purposes.
A senate committee must act next: committee consideration.
While the bill addresses popular concerns about college costs and fraud, it faces opposition for giving the federal government significantly more power over higher education standards.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Colleges would face new accountability requirements tied to graduation, loan repayment, and earnings outcomes, plus new consumer protections like teach-out plans, credit transfer agreements, and a public 'accredited with distinction' or 'accredited with risk' label. This gives current and prospective students more information and protection if their school runs into trouble, though schools losing accreditation could disrupt some students' education in the short term.
“to increase the accountability of institutions of higher education for student outcomes.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act of 2026 aims to set clearer guidelines for college accreditation based on student outcomes, such as loan repayment and post-college earnings, to protect borrowers and lower student debt.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Dick Durbin reintroduced the Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Education to establish new standards for evaluating colleges based on graduate loan repayment success.
The proposal targets the accreditation system that governs access to federal student aid, tying eligibility to student-loan and debt-to-earnings outcomes to ensure students receive an education that improves their financial prospects.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for accreditation reform, and for other purposes.
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