Today, the Education Department released formal regulations for the federal accreditation system for colleges and universities. The Heritage Foundation’s education policy analyst Mary Clare Amselem offered the following response:

“American students deserve more pathways for higher learning that can help provide alternatives and additional choices to a traditional bachelor's degree, which is not always the best option for all students. This proposal provides a much-needed step in the right direction to correct some existing problems within the federal accreditation system, which severely limits career-based options for students.”

“It’s important to point out how these rules would protect institutional autonomy, particularly when it comes to a religious college or university’s mission. Religious educational institutions have struggled to maintain their mission while complying with burdensome federal regulations to become accredited.”

“The Heritage Foundation urges the Education Department to go further and address regional accreditation bodies that also have stifled innovation and competition. Allowing more competition and options among all accrediting systems, rather than reinforcing any arbitrary structures, would offer more quality assurance and greater higher education opportunities for all Americans.”