Trump Administration Plans Sweeping Changes to Accreditation
Katherine Knott
April 7, 2026
The Trump administration wants the agencies that oversee colleges and universities to set minimum standards for student achievement, protect viewpoint diversity and consider cost efficiency in their evaluation of institutions, among other changes unveiled Monday.
That last provision would help to “provide relief for students and taxpayers who have suffered from increasing tuition by allowing greater institutional flexibility to control costs,” according to a nine-page summary of the Education Department’s 151-page proposal.
An advisory committee will consider the administration’s proposed revisions to the rules that govern accreditors in two rounds of weeklong meetings that begin April 13. Those meetings are the next step in the department’s rule-making process. Any changes still will be subject to public comment. (The full list of committee members is here.)
