Process for Recognizing New Accreditors Shortened

The Department of Education issued guidance clarifying the types of accreditation activities that accreditors must conduct prior to seeking federal recognition. The announcement is designed to accelerate the recognition of new accreditors in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order on accreditation.  

Currently, the regulations require accreditors to, among other things, conduct accrediting activities for at least two years prior to seeking recognition and to have granted accreditation or preaccreditation prior to submitting an application for recognition. Historically, the Department has treated this requirement as if the two-year clock on accrediting activities starts after the accreditor grants accreditation or preaccreditation. 

Under the Department’s new interpretation, however, the agency will now consider any of the following activities as sufficient to start the two-year waiting period before seeking federal registration:   

While the shift in interpretation will almost certainly shorten the timeline for new accreditors to win federal recognition, accreditors will still be required to grant accreditation or preaccreditation to at least one institution during the two years they are conducting accrediting activities.  

In addition, the guidance clarifies that the Department may begin the practice of granting recognition before the two-year process concludes, although final approval must await the end of the two-year period. 

To provide an additional incentive for new accreditors to seek federal recognition, the Department also announced that it intends to shorten the agency review process by determining whether an accreditor meets the basic eligibility requirements within 60 calendar days from receiving an application, with a goal of finishing its review of the written petition within six to 12 months. Currently, that approval process takes two to three years.