Trump’s Accreditation Overhaul Advances
Josh Moody
May 22, 2026
The administration proposed sweeping changes to how accreditors evaluate institutions that officials say will lower the cost of college. Critics are skeptical.
fter four days of dense and occasionally contentious discussions over the Trump administration’s proposed overhaul of accreditation, an advisory committee tasked with reviewing the plan reached consensus on the slate of changes.
Now, the Education Department can move forward on the next steps to finalize the regulatory changes, which include receiving and reviewing public feedback. If the department issues the final accreditation rule by Nov. 1, the overhaul will take effect July 1 of next year.
Negotiators on the Accreditation, Innovation and Modernization Committee spent the better part of four days this week in a windowless room at the U.S. Department of Education hammering out the proposal.
