Every reauthorization of the Higher Education Act seems to revive criticisms of the nation’s accreditation system as well as proposals to make major changes in how it works.
So far the process has survived because lawmakers have been unable to figure out how to overhaul accreditation without increasing the federal government’s role in regulating higher education.
This time could be different, say some experts on accreditation. A white paper released last month by the staff of the U.S. Senate's education committee proposes far-reaching changes in accreditation, including the possibility of "decoupling" it as a requirement for participating in federal student-aid programs. A college must be accredited by a federally recognized accreditor to be eligible for that money.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican and the committee's chairman, will take a lead role in writing the next reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The paper was one of three that his staff released to start a discussion on that legislation.
The idea of removing accreditors as "gatekeepers" of federal student aid has been discussed in the past, says Judith S. Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, but never so openly.
"I don't recall gatekeeping being put on the table flat out," she said in an interview with The Chronicle.
But one result of reducing the role of accreditors could be a major increase in federal regulation or a significant decline in safeguards of federal student aid. "The big concern," Ms. Eaton said, "is if you take away gatekeeping, what next?"
Read more at The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/Support-for-Overhauling/229237