America wins with Higher Education’s New Accreditation Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. — AFPI congratulates Secretary McMahon and the Department of Education for achieving consensus yesterday at the final meeting of its Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Committee’s negotiated rulemaking sessions. The sessions brought together experts and stakeholders representing a wide range of perspectives to craft new rules responding to President Trump's executive orders, which directed the department to restore common sense, quality, flexibility, and accountability to the nation's higher education regulatory system.

"This is a tremendous step forward for American students, families, and workers. It brings transparency to higher education, creates incentives to keep college costs down, and refocuses the sector's regulatory energy on student success rather than bureaucratic bloat," said Dr. Michael Shires, AFPI vice chair for Education Opportunity, who represented taxpayers and the public interest in the negotiations. "The new rules also open the door to innovation and competition by simplifying the very processes that prior administrations used to protect the status quo and block accountability and change in American higher education."