The Art Institute blame game: House Democrats, Education Department spar over schools’ collapse, accreditation woes – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WASHINGTON — More than a year after the Art Institutes’ collapse, a dispute has heated up between the Trump administration and Democrats in Congress over who is to blame for the displacement of thousands of students across the country and student loan defaults that could cost taxpayers up to $1 billion.
On Wednesday, U.S. Department of Education staff presented their case to punish the accreditation body that removed its seal of approval from four Art Institute schools in early 2018. Department staff claimed, at an advisory committee meeting, that the Higher Learning Commission did not properly notify the schools and ultimately played a role in the Pittsburgh-based college chain’s demise. HLC officials have denied any responsibility and said they followed the rules.
In a repudiation of the staff report, the Republican-led advisory committee — a group of education officials that oversee accreditation — voted 9-3 Wednesday to recommend the department reject the staff report and continue recognizing the HLC. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos makes the final decision.