Josh Moody
October 21, 2026
The Education Department’s accreditation advisory committee recommended stripping the accreditor of federal recognition. But senior officials stopped short of that recommendation.
The Department of Education announced Wednesday it will prohibit the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences from adding new members, and it put the association on notice that it could face more severe penalties if it doesn’t address a range of compliance concerns.
The limitation comes after a July showdown with the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, when members grilled NACCAS officials over a lack of transparency, poor student outcomes and other issues at the cosmetology accreditor. NACIQI members voted 9 to 3 at the July meeting to recommend stripping NACCAS of federal recognition. (Accreditation from a federally recognized agency can unlock access to federal student aid for institutions and programs.)