Wesley Whistle

1 week ago | newamerica.org | Wesley Whistle |Jeremy Bauer-Wolf

The U.S. Department of Education issued guidance this week that it claims would streamline the process of switching accreditors, the agencies that evaluate whether colleges are offering quality programs. These are key entities in the American higher education accountability system—accreditors that the Education Department recognizes can distribute federal financial aid, taxpayer money known as Title IV funding, to their colleges.

2 weeks ago | newamerica.org | Antoinette Flores |Jeremy Bauer-Wolf |Wesley Whistle

Last week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order claiming accreditors—organizations that gauge whether colleges offer quality programs—have abused their power. Accreditors, when approved by the U.S. Department of Education, have the ability to unlock federal financial aid for colleges. When those accreditors decide an institution meets their standards, that college can then access aid like Pell Grants and student loans.