April 2026

Introduction
 

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Policy Watch publication provides accreditation stakeholders and CHEA-eligible institutions with updates on developments affecting accreditation from the White House, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and the federal courts.

U.S. Department of Education

AIM Draft Regulations Propose Changes to Accreditation

The Department of Education (USDE) released the draft proposals outlining changes to how accreditors review institutions and how the federal government reviews accreditors. Under the proposed rules, both accreditors and institutions would assume new responsibilities. USDE has also prepared a nine-page summary of its draft regulations. 

These proposals follow an executive order from President Trump focused on student achievement, easing the pathway for new accreditors to be approved by USDE, allowing institutions to move to new accreditors with notice to USDE, and removing DEI-related requirements from accreditation.

Several draft proposals may raise concerns for institutions: 1) would require institutions “to presume the transferability of credits earned at another institution toward general-education requirements, not only as electives.” USDE states that this proposal will make college more affordable; 2) would require accrediting organizations to set minimum standards for student achievement, including measures of return on investment, raising questions about how outcomes will be defined across institutions with different missions and student populations; and 3) would require accrediting organizations to monitor compliance with civil rights laws, including Title IX regulations, potentially expanding the role of accreditors into areas traditionally reserved for regulators.

These proposals also raise broader questions about the balance of responsibilities across the federal government, states, and accreditors.

The negotiated rulemaking committee will consider the  proposed regulations April 13-17 and May 18-22. 

U.S. Department of Education Issues Proposed Rules to Implement Workforce Pell Grants

The USDE has published a proposed rule related to two changes made to the Pell Grant program under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking establishes the new Workforce Pell Grant program, which would allow students to use federal grant funds to enroll in high-quality, short-term programs that offer education in high-skill, high-wage or in-demand industry sectors or occupations. Programs must lead to a postsecondary credential and be stackable. Beginning in July 2026, students will be able to use Pell Grants for eligible workforce programs as short as eight weeks.

The proposed rule specifies that eligible workforce programs must include 150–599 clock hours of instruction in at least eight weeks but fewer than 15 weeks. Additional eligibility requirements include approval by a governor, after consultation with the state’s workforce board. Each program must also meet certain accountability benchmarks, including completion and job placement rates, as well as a value-added earnings measure.

USDE Releases Interpretive Rule on Recognizing New Accreditors 

USDE has published an interpretive rule that could significantly decrease the timeline for recognizing new accreditors. Prior regulations required accreditors to have conducted accrediting activities for two years prior to seeking recognition from the Department, followed by a 2–3 year federal review process. 

The interpretive rule states that new accreditors may seek recognition once they have formed a corporation and “conducted at least one type of accrediting activity,” such as: adopting accreditation standards; granting or denying accreditation or preaccreditation; conducting a site visit at an institution or program; adopting operating procedures; or establishing a process to accept applications for accreditation. 

However, accreditors must still grant preaccreditation or accreditation to at least one institution prior to recognition. 

USDE announced its intention to shorten the timeline of its own review to at most 60 days for the initial staff analysis of basic eligibility requirements and 12 months for its complete review of the written petition. While recommendations may be made earlier, the Department must wait until an accreditor has operated for two years before granting official recognition.

USDE Issues Proposed Interpretive Rule to Eliminate the Use of “Regional” by Accrediting Agencies

Also in February, the USDE issued a proposed interpretive rule declaring that the term “regionally accredited” creates unnecessary barriers and misleads students and the public. Although the USDE eliminated the term “regional” accreditors from its regulations in 2019, it is concerned that some accreditors, institutions, states, and licensure boards continue to use the term, fostering confusion, discriminatory transfer credit policies, and denial of credit for completed coursework.

USDE emphasizes that all recognized institutional accreditors are held to the same standards, regardless of geographic scope and expects accreditors to describe themselves accordingly. Under the proposal, accreditors are to ensure that member institutions accurately represent their accreditation status in admissions, marketing materials, and transfer of credit policies.

The proposed rule further “strongly encourages States, including State licensure boards, to revise their laws or regulations, as necessary, to remove this distinction” and encourages institutions to “consider only referring to their accreditation status as being with a ‘nationally recognized accrediting agency.’”

USDE Announces Additional Interagency Partnerships

In February, the USDE announced two new interagency agreements with the Departments of State and Health and Human Services (HHS). State will partner with the USDE on the Section 117 foreign gift reporting, and HHS will partner with the Department on family engagement and school support programs. These agreements follow other agreements previously announced.

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), chair of the House subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, will not be running for office this year. Owens’s announcement came shortly after the state redrew its congressional districts.

The White House

Executive Order: Accreditation Reform

An Executive Order, issued in April 2025, directs the Secretary of Education to overhaul the accreditation process by increasing competition among accreditors, providing broader context for many of the regulatory proposals described above.