ED Convenes Negotiated Rulemaking Committee Focused on Reforming Accreditation
By Maria Carrasco, NASFAA Staff Reporter
The Department of Education (ED) on Monday kicked off the first day of its newest negotiated rulemaking (neg reg) committee focused on reforming the accreditation process, which Under Secretary Nicholas Kent said could “upend” higher education.
ED first announced its intent to establish the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking committee in January. According to ED the committee’s goal is to address accreditation regulations that hinder the entry of new accreditors, create new expectations that accrediting agencies assess “quality using data-driven student outcomes,” ensure that accreditors’ standards “comply with all federal civil rights laws and prohibit standards or policies that require or facilitate discrimination on the basis of immutable characteristics, such as race-based scholarships,” and ensure accrediting agencies and institutions do not mislead students or the public with misrepresentative labels, such as “regional accreditor.”
Under Secretary Nicholas Kent opened the session on Monday, stating that ED’s proposed regulations will “upend higher education” and prioritize student outcomes, rather than "unnecessary bureaucracy.”
“Accreditation is no longer the reliable indicator of quality it once was,” Kent said in a statement. “We have a significant opportunity to reimagine a postsecondary education quality assurance process that better serves today’s students, institutions, employers, and taxpayers.”
The department last week released a 151-page draft of its proposed regulations to reform the accreditation process, with a redline markup of how ED wants to change the current accreditation regulations, along with a list of negotiators. A summary provided by ED details the overarching proposals from the administration, including reducing regulatory burdens, prioritizing student outcomes, making higher education more affordable, simplifying regulations, and more.
The committee will meet through Friday this week, and reconvene on the week of May 18-22 to continue discussions through ED’s drafted markup. Negotiators will ultimately vote on ED’s proposed regulations during the May session. Those interested can register to watch the neg reg session for the remainder of the week.
Publication Date: 4/14/2026
Peter G | 4/14/2026 12:19:34 PM
"reducing regulatory burdens"
Did it occur to ED to start with reducing the regulatory burden on institutions directly?
Apparently not.
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