Higher Education Accreditation Accountability Act

Key Points

• Colleges would need Department of Education approval before switching to a new accrediting agency, closing a loophole schools have used to dodge sanctions.
• Schools must submit detailed proof of a legitimate reason for the switch, including past accreditation letters, complaint records, and inspection reports from the last three years.
• Any school that lost accreditation or was put on probation, show cause, or suspension in the past 24 months is automatically denied permission to switch accreditors.
• New accrediting agencies must prove at least two years of successful track record accrediting a school before the government will recognize them, and their first recognition only lasts up to three years.
• The public gets a say: the Department of Education must publish notice of any school's request to switch accreditors and accept public comments for at least 30 days.