These colleges’ fates could change now that ACICS has its federal recognition back – Education Dive
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos restored federal recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) last week, but the for-profit accreditor and the colleges it oversees still have a tough road ahead.
For one, ACICS has shed about two-thirds of its member institutions since 2016, when it lost federal recognition required to issue federal financial aid. The Obama administration stripped the accreditor of its recognition after the high-profile collapses of two ACICS-accredited for-profit chains, Corinthian Colleges and the ITT Technical Institute.
DeVos’s Education Department has focused on rolling back Obama-era regulations of the for-profit sector, but a new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives could stymie those efforts. Several presumptive committee leaders have voiced opposition to DeVos’s agenda and said oversight of efforts to loosen regulations on for-profits will be a top priority.
As of July, roughly 85 institutions remained with ACICS as they weren’t able to find a new accreditor, according to the Center for American Progress (CAP). While some appear healthy, many have been facing problems endemic to a sector now experiencing reputational as well as financial hurdles, including sharp drops in enrollment, campus closures and claims of consumer fraud.