Public colleges must change accreditors every 5 years, Florida bill proposes
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf
February 4, 2022
Dive Brief:
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Florida’s public colleges would be required to change accreditors and then do so again every five years under a new bill introduced in the state’s House of Representatives.
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The proposal follows the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which accredits public institutions in the state, inquiring into potential state political influence at the University of Florida and Florida State University.
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Policy experts argue the bill’s terms would be difficult to achieve, as accrediting agencies come in limited numbers, and getting their approval is time intensive.
Dive Insight:
Accreditors ensure the health of academic programming, finances, free inquiry and other components of college campuses. They are also the gatekeepers of federal Title IV student aid funding, but they must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or an association, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
