The Department Of Education Is Again Dropping Acics As A College Accreditor

Comment The Education Department has rejected a call by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to remain a gatekeeper between colleges and billions of dollars in federal financial aid, the agency said Friday. The federal government relies on accreditors to judge colleges worthy of participating in the federal student aid program. Without with the accreditor’s seal of approval, students can’t get federal education loans that are critical for many schools, especially for-profit colleges. In a decision issued Friday, Deputy Education Secretary Cindy Marten sided with department staff and an independent advisory panel that said the board was unable to meet federal standards, including having adequate staff and financial resources to work. He said it was unlikely the watchdog, commonly known as ACICS, would be able to fix chronic problems if given more time. Although the education secretary usually hears the appeals, Marten was given the task after Secretary Miguel Cardona recused himself from the case. The board accused Cardona of being biased against the watchdog after he appeared to advocate terminating it during congressional testimony last year. It took the Biden administration more than a year to rule on the appeal. In a statement, the accreditation board said it was “disappointed” by the department’s decision. “We believe it is deeply flawed and that ACICS has substantially complied with any objective, consistent and reasonable interpretation of the recognition criteria,” the company said. “We are evaluating all our options … including any decision to appeal the Deputy Secretary’s decision in federal district court.” With this final decision by the Department of Education, the board can only file a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop its loss of recognition. A successful lawsuit could leave the board-accredited schools in a pattern of participation pending a final court decision. But the schools are already looking for a new accreditor. In a call with reporters Friday, Under Secretary of Education James Kwaal said three of the 27 colleges accredited by the board have begun the process of changing accreditors. All colleges will have 18 months to find a new accreditor to prevent students from losing access to government loans and grants. “The Deputy Secretary’s decision is not based on the history or reputation of ACICS, but rather on its continued, long-term failure to comply with the minimum standards expected of an accrediting agency over the years,” Kvaal said. “The story with ACICS is long.” This is the second time the council has lost the recognition it needs to operate. The Obama administration cut ties with ACICS in 2016 after the collapse of Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute, which had remained accredited by the board despite widespread findings of fraud and dismal graduation rates. The board was once one of the nation’s largest college accreditors, with nearly 300 schools under its purview. Many of these colleges changed accreditors when the board lost its accreditation in 2016, but some of the most troubled institutions remained. The Trump administration gave the watchdog another chance with the understanding that would face outstanding problems. Then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos brought the board back in 2018 over the objections of her staff, concluding that the accreditor could be improved within a year. In January 2021, careers officers at the Department for Education said the shortages that plagued the board in 2016 remained and had new problems came up. Officials took issue with the board’s accreditation of Reagan National University, a South Dakota school that a 2020 USA Today investigation found lacked students, faculty or classrooms. ACICS approved the for-profit university in 2017, but questioned two years later why none of its graduates seemed to have found work. He then asked the school which is now closed why should it hold the seal of approval. Instead, the university voluntarily surrendered its accreditation. Another board-accredited school, America’s Fairfax University — formerly known as Virginia International University — was nearly forced to close in 2019 after a state audit criticized its online education program. Education Department officials questioned why ACICS failed to step up before state regulators intervened. “It is great to see the Department taking this overdue action to protect students and taxpayers. We’re talking about an entity that approved a school that didn’t even exist and continues to rubber stamp some of the worst for-profit colleges,” said Eric Rothschild, director of litigation at the National Student Legal Defense Network. “Students rely on accreditors to validate that the schools where they spend their time and money will meet a basic level of quality. Today’s determination is an important step in this direction.”

title: “The Department Of Education Is Again Dropping Acics As A College Accreditor Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Paul Cunningham”

Comment The Education Department has rejected a call by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to remain a gatekeeper between colleges and billions of dollars in federal financial aid, the agency said Friday. The federal government relies on accreditors to judge colleges worthy of participating in the federal student aid program. Without with the accreditor’s seal of approval, students can’t get federal education loans that are critical for many schools, especially for-profit colleges. In a decision issued Friday, Deputy Education Secretary Cindy Marten sided with department staff and an independent advisory panel that said the board was unable to meet federal standards, including having adequate staff and financial resources to work. He said it was unlikely the watchdog, commonly known as ACICS, would be able to fix chronic problems if given more time. Although the education secretary usually hears the appeals, Marten was given the task after Secretary Miguel Cardona recused himself from the case. The board accused Cardona of being biased against the watchdog after he appeared to advocate terminating it during congressional testimony last year. It took the Biden administration more than a year to rule on the appeal. In a statement, the accreditation board said it was “disappointed” by the department’s decision. “We believe it is deeply flawed and that ACICS has substantially complied with any objective, consistent and reasonable interpretation of the recognition criteria,” the company said. “We are evaluating all our options … including any decision to appeal the Deputy Secretary’s decision in federal district court.” With this final decision by the Department of Education, the board can only file a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop its loss of recognition. A successful lawsuit could leave the board-accredited schools in a pattern of participation pending a final court decision. But the schools are already looking for a new accreditor. In a call with reporters Friday, Under Secretary of Education James Kwaal said three of the 27 colleges accredited by the board have begun the process of changing accreditors. All colleges will have 18 months to find a new accreditor to prevent students from losing access to government loans and grants. “The Deputy Secretary’s decision is not based on the history or reputation of ACICS, but rather on its continued, long-term failure to comply with the minimum standards expected of an accrediting agency over the years,” Kvaal said. “The story with ACICS is long.” This is the second time the council has lost the recognition it needs to operate. The Obama administration cut ties with ACICS in 2016 after the collapse of Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute, which had remained accredited by the board despite widespread findings of fraud and dismal graduation rates. The board was once one of the nation’s largest college accreditors, with nearly 300 schools under its purview. Many of these colleges changed accreditors when the board lost its accreditation in 2016, but some of the most troubled institutions remained. The Trump administration gave the watchdog another chance with the understanding that would face outstanding problems. Then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos brought the board back in 2018 over the objections of her staff, concluding that the accreditor could be improved within a year. In January 2021, careers officers at the Department for Education said the shortages that plagued the board in 2016 remained and had new problems came up. Officials took issue with the board’s accreditation of Reagan National University, a South Dakota school that a 2020 USA Today investigation found lacked students, faculty or classrooms. ACICS approved the for-profit university in 2017, but questioned two years later why none of its graduates seemed to have found work. He then asked the school which is now closed why should it hold the seal of approval. Instead, the university voluntarily surrendered its accreditation. Another board-accredited school, America’s Fairfax University — formerly known as Virginia International University — was nearly forced to close in 2019 after a state audit criticized its online education program. Education Department officials questioned why ACICS failed to step up before state regulators intervened. “It is great to see the Department taking this overdue action to protect students and taxpayers. We’re talking about an entity that approved a school that didn’t even exist and continues to rubber stamp some of the worst for-profit colleges,” said Eric Rothschild, director of litigation at the National Student Legal Defense Network. “Students rely on accreditors to validate that the schools where they spend their time and money will meet a basic level of quality. Today’s determination is an important step in this direction.”

title: “The Department Of Education Is Again Dropping Acics As A College Accreditor Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-30” author: “James Hunter”

Comment The Education Department has rejected a call by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to remain a gatekeeper between colleges and billions of dollars in federal financial aid, the agency said Friday. The federal government relies on accreditors to judge colleges worthy of participating in the federal student aid program. Without with the accreditor’s seal of approval, students can’t get federal education loans that are critical for many schools, especially for-profit colleges. In a decision issued Friday, Deputy Education Secretary Cindy Marten sided with department staff and an independent advisory panel that said the board was unable to meet federal standards, including having adequate staff and financial resources to work. He said it was unlikely the watchdog, commonly known as ACICS, would be able to fix chronic problems if given more time. Although the education secretary usually hears the appeals, Marten was given the task after Secretary Miguel Cardona recused himself from the case. The board accused Cardona of being biased against the watchdog after he appeared to advocate terminating it during congressional testimony last year. It took the Biden administration more than a year to rule on the appeal. In a statement, the accreditation board said it was “disappointed” by the department’s decision. “We believe it is deeply flawed and that ACICS has substantially complied with any objective, consistent and reasonable interpretation of the recognition criteria,” the company said. “We are evaluating all our options … including any decision to appeal the Deputy Secretary’s decision in federal district court.” With this final decision by the Department of Education, the board can only file a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop its loss of recognition. A successful lawsuit could leave the board-accredited schools in a pattern of participation pending a final court decision. But the schools are already looking for a new accreditor. In a call with reporters Friday, Under Secretary of Education James Kwaal said three of the 27 colleges accredited by the board have begun the process of changing accreditors. All colleges will have 18 months to find a new accreditor to prevent students from losing access to government loans and grants. “The Deputy Secretary’s decision is not based on the history or reputation of ACICS, but rather on its continued, long-term failure to comply with the minimum standards expected of an accrediting agency over the years,” Kvaal said. “The story with ACICS is long.” This is the second time the council has lost the recognition it needs to operate. The Obama administration cut ties with ACICS in 2016 after the collapse of Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute, which had remained accredited by the board despite widespread findings of fraud and dismal graduation rates. The board was once one of the nation’s largest college accreditors, with nearly 300 schools under its purview. Many of these colleges changed accreditors when the board lost its accreditation in 2016, but some of the most troubled institutions remained. The Trump administration gave the watchdog another chance with the understanding that would face outstanding problems. Then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos brought the board back in 2018 over the objections of her staff, concluding that the accreditor could be improved within a year. In January 2021, careers officers at the Department for Education said the shortages that plagued the board in 2016 remained and had new problems came up. Officials took issue with the board’s accreditation of Reagan National University, a South Dakota school that a 2020 USA Today investigation found lacked students, faculty or classrooms. ACICS approved the for-profit university in 2017, but questioned two years later why none of its graduates seemed to have found work. He then asked the school which is now closed why should it hold the seal of approval. Instead, the university voluntarily surrendered its accreditation. Another board-accredited school, America’s Fairfax University — formerly known as Virginia International University — was nearly forced to close in 2019 after a state audit criticized its online education program. Education Department officials questioned why ACICS failed to step up before state regulators intervened. “It is great to see the Department taking this overdue action to protect students and taxpayers. We’re talking about an entity that approved a school that didn’t even exist and continues to rubber stamp some of the worst for-profit colleges,” said Eric Rothschild, director of litigation at the National Student Legal Defense Network. “Students rely on accreditors to validate that the schools where they spend their time and money will meet a basic level of quality. Today’s determination is an important step in this direction.”

title: “The Department Of Education Is Again Dropping Acics As A College Accreditor Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-22” author: “Erma Noel”

Comment The Education Department has rejected a call by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to remain a gatekeeper between colleges and billions of dollars in federal financial aid, the agency said Friday. The federal government relies on accreditors to judge colleges worthy of participating in the federal student aid program. Without with the accreditor’s seal of approval, students can’t get federal education loans that are critical for many schools, especially for-profit colleges. In a decision issued Friday, Deputy Education Secretary Cindy Marten sided with department staff and an independent advisory panel that said the board was unable to meet federal standards, including having adequate staff and financial resources to work. He said it was unlikely the watchdog, commonly known as ACICS, would be able to fix chronic problems if given more time. Although the education secretary usually hears the appeals, Marten was given the task after Secretary Miguel Cardona recused himself from the case. The board accused Cardona of being biased against the watchdog after he appeared to advocate terminating it during congressional testimony last year. It took the Biden administration more than a year to rule on the appeal. In a statement, the accreditation board said it was “disappointed” by the department’s decision. “We believe it is deeply flawed and that ACICS has substantially complied with any objective, consistent and reasonable interpretation of the recognition criteria,” the company said. “We are evaluating all our options … including any decision to appeal the Deputy Secretary’s decision in federal district court.” With this final decision by the Department of Education, the board can only file a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop its loss of recognition. A successful lawsuit could leave the board-accredited schools in a pattern of participation pending a final court decision. But the schools are already looking for a new accreditor. In a call with reporters Friday, Under Secretary of Education James Kwaal said three of the 27 colleges accredited by the board have begun the process of changing accreditors. All colleges will have 18 months to find a new accreditor to prevent students from losing access to government loans and grants. “The Deputy Secretary’s decision is not based on the history or reputation of ACICS, but rather on its continued, long-term failure to comply with the minimum standards expected of an accrediting agency over the years,” Kvaal said. “The story with ACICS is long.” This is the second time the council has lost the recognition it needs to operate. The Obama administration cut ties with ACICS in 2016 after the collapse of Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute, which had remained accredited by the board despite widespread findings of fraud and dismal graduation rates. The board was once one of the nation’s largest college accreditors, with nearly 300 schools under its purview. Many of these colleges changed accreditors when the board lost its accreditation in 2016, but some of the most troubled institutions remained. The Trump administration gave the watchdog another chance with the understanding that would face outstanding problems. Then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos brought the board back in 2018 over the objections of her staff, concluding that the accreditor could be improved within a year. In January 2021, careers officers at the Department for Education said the shortages that plagued the board in 2016 remained and had new problems came up. Officials took issue with the board’s accreditation of Reagan National University, a South Dakota school that a 2020 USA Today investigation found lacked students, faculty or classrooms. ACICS approved the for-profit university in 2017, but questioned two years later why none of its graduates seemed to have found work. He then asked the school which is now closed why should it hold the seal of approval. Instead, the university voluntarily surrendered its accreditation. Another board-accredited school, America’s Fairfax University — formerly known as Virginia International University — was nearly forced to close in 2019 after a state audit criticized its online education program. Education Department officials questioned why ACICS failed to step up before state regulators intervened. “It is great to see the Department taking this overdue action to protect students and taxpayers. We’re talking about an entity that approved a school that didn’t even exist and continues to rubber stamp some of the worst for-profit colleges,” said Eric Rothschild, director of litigation at the National Student Legal Defense Network. “Students rely on accreditors to validate that the schools where they spend their time and money will meet a basic level of quality. Today’s determination is an important step in this direction.”