Higher Education Reform Bill Introduced

The College Cost Reduction Act, H.R. 6951, introduced in January 2024, includes provisions to lower college costs for students. As evident in the bill summary, a majority of this legislation is focused on college costs. (Fact Sheet) This bill, however, also recommends several significant changes to the accreditation provisions of the Higher Education Act.

Some of the accreditation provision changes include:

Accreditors, with gatekeeping responsibility (providing institutions with access to federal student aid), would focus their evaluations on student achievement measures, such as completion rates, loan repayment, learning outcomes, and earnings after graduation. 

Accreditors would not seat board or commission members from their accredited institutions.

Allows new gatekeepers/accreditors for federal aid, including states to designate “quality assurance” entities that could grant access to federal aid. 

Reforms the accreditor recognition process to approve new accreditors faster. These new accreditors could be states or other entities approved by states.

Permits institutions or programs not under sanction to change accreditors without the approval of the U.S. Secretary of Education, including when it is directed by state law.

Permits institutions to retain dual accreditation and allows the institution to change its Title IV gatekeeper. 

Requires an accreditor to apply standards that respect an institution’s religious mission. Accreditors must base their decisions only on their standards of accreditation. Institutions are provided with remedies if other considerations are used.

Prohibits the Secretary from establishing any additional criteria for accreditors other than the standards in the Higher Education Act. 

The bill narrows the function of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity to only the functions listed in the statute.

If enacted, these changes in the accreditation provisions of the law would be a major shift for students, institutions, and accreditors.

This is a bill that CHEA will monitor closely and continue to update institutions on its progress.