Higher Education Experts Meet in Washington to Update Accreditation Rules

Higher education experts are meeting in Washington this week to update regulations about accreditation. The quality assurance process oversees $110 billion in taxpayer-funded financial aid dollars. Many of the conversations during this process focus on strengthening student outcomes and academic freedom protections. The current rules do not properly incentivize improving student outcomes.

Today, more than a third of colleges fail to graduate half their students. Those colleges receive more than $20 billion in federal funds annually. Institutions are spending billions on services that do little to increase graduation rates. The Department of Education cannot create new standards in this area because statute prohibits the Secretary from doing so.

Congress must reauthorize and amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make lasting changes. The law was designed to be updated on a five-year cycle. In updated legislation, Congress needs to prioritize oversight that ensures students receive a quality education at an affordable price.

Legislators should mandate specific student outcome measures and set benchmarks that colleges must meet to receive federal financial aid. Institutions should also be required to publish their costs and outcomes. Students and families deserve to know how much college will cost, what their expected earnings will be, and if their education will prepare them for success in the workplace.

Legislators should also make sure that institutions protect faculty rights and students' freedom of speech. The free exchange of ideas on campus is an essential part of student learning. This week's rulemaking might give the Trump administration a short-term political win.

But it does not take an expert to predict that if the White House changes hands, it is unlikely that a Democratic president will share President Donald Trump's vision for accreditation.