Published: July 2019

DeVos clears the way for more fraudulent schools at taxpayers’ expense

The Trump administration proposed an overhaul of federal standards for college accreditors, arguing that the current rules stifle innovation. Advocates are warning that the proposed changes weaken existing oversight and give low-performing schools even more leeway to defraud students and taxpayers.

The Department of Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, wants to allow colleges to expedite plans to outsource programs and to add new degree offerings or branch campuses without getting an accreditor’s approval. The changes also would make it easier for accreditors who don’t fully meet federal standards to retain their approval and federal funding. Advocates argue that the rollbacks will result in the weakening of critical protections for students, while granting new low-quality educational providers unfettered access to taxpayer dollars.

Lead Organization

The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)

Other Organizations

American Federation of Teachers | Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund Association of Young Americans (AYA) Augustus F. Hawkins Foundation | Center for American Progress | Center for Public Interest Law | Center for Responsible Lending | Children's Advocacy Institute | CLASP | Consumer Action | East Bay Community Law Center | The Education Trust | Empire Justice Center | Generation Progress | The Institute for College Access & Success | Government Accountability Project | Hildreth Institute | Maine Center for Economic Policy Maine Equal Justice | National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) | National Consumers League | New America | PHENOM (Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts) | Public Counsel | Public Law Center | Southeast Asia Resource Action Center Stephanie Hall, Fellow | The Century Foundation | Student Debt Crisis | Student Veterans of America | U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) | UnidosUS | Veterans Education Success | Young Invincibles

More Information

Click here to read the letter in full.

To learn more, please visit TICAS.

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