Termination of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools as an ED Recognized Accrediting Agency
Termination of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools as an ED Recognized Accrediting Agency
On August 19, 2022, the Deputy Secretary of Education, as delegated by the Secretary, issued a final decision on the appeal of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) regarding its status as a recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. Deputy Secretary Marten has upheld the decision by the Senior Department Official (SDO) to terminate ACICS as a nationally recognized accrediting agency.
The Deputy Secretary's decision follows a several years-long process that began in 2016, with ED's decision to terminate recognizing ACICS. ACICS's appeal to have its recognition reinstated was denied by then Secretary John King. ACICS followed that decision with a lawsuit against ED. After a federal judge required ED to consider new evidence, Secretary DeVos reinstated ACICS in 2018.
In January 2021, accreditation staff at ED released a report recommending ED once again stop recognizing ACICS as an accrediting agency. ED's 2021 staff report said, among other things, that ACICS failed to demonstrate it could effectively evaluate, monitor, and enforce quality standards for schools.
On March 4, 2021, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Improvement (NACIQI) also recommended that ED terminate its recognition of ACICS. NACIQI is an independent, bipartisan advisory committee appointed by Congress. On June 2, 2021, ED's Senior Department Official (SDO) agreed with the ED staff and NACIQI recommendations.
On July 2, 2021, ACICS appealed the SDO's decision, and the appeal was forwarded to ED Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten for decision. Deputy Secretary Marten upheld the SDO decision and the recommendations of ED staff and NACIQI to terminate recognition of ACICS. Her decision is considered final and officially starts an 18-month period for schools currently accredited by ACICS to find another accreditor to continue offering federal student grants, loans, or work-study funds.
At the links below, you can find information and guidance for students, institutions, and others related to this final decision by the Deputy Secretary.
Information for Students
- What College Accreditation Changes Mean for Students
- Learn if ACICS Accredits your School and Check Accreditation Status: DAPIP | Homepage (ed.gov)
Decision on ACICS
- Press Release on Deputy Secretary's Decision
- Deputy Secretary's Decision August 2022 [PDF, 446KB]
- Senior Department Official Decision June 2021
Basic Information on Accreditation Process
- Federal Recognition Process for Accrediting Agencies – At a Glance
- FAQs Regarding the Department's Recognition for Accrediting Agencies
Notice of Decision to Impacted Agencies and Institutions
Archived Information
Click on the link with to expand or collapse the information
Important Information on the Derecognition of ACICS (2016-2018)
On March 23, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia remanded to the Secretary the December 12, 2016 decision of then-Secretary John King withdrawing the recognition of ACICS. On April 3, 2018, Secretary DeVos ordered further review of the agency's petition. Below are updated resources related to this ongoing review:
On December 12, 2016, the Secretary upheld the decision of the Senior Department Official (SDO) to cease recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an agency that can provide schools with a seal of approval for educational quality, which in turn makes schools eligible to participate in federal student aid programs. The decision was based on a review of ACICS's compliance with federal recognition criteria, and on the agency's lack of effectiveness in applying those criteria. The earlier decision by the SDO to cease ACICS's recognition on September 22 agreed with the recommendations of both the Department's accreditation staff and the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Improvement (NACIQI), an independent, bipartisan advisory body appointed by Congress. The SDO decision was then appealed to the Secretary in October.
The Secretary's decision is considered final and officially starts an 18-month time period for institutions accredited by ACICS to find another accreditor in order to continue participating in federal student aid programs. ACICS may choose to challenge the Secretary's decision in federal district court. However, a court challenge will not affect the timeline for ACICS-accredited institutions unless the court issues a stay on ED's decision or subsequently orders ACICS to be reinstated.
This page will serve as a one stop shop for the public, in particular students, who may want additional information about this decision.
Information for Students
- What College Accreditation Changes Mean for Students
- Under Secretary Ted Mitchell Letter to Students on Derecognition of ACICS
- Learn if ACICS Accredits your School and Check School Accreditation Status
- Protecting Students During Schools' Transition (New PPA Provisions for Impacted Schools) [PDF, 247KB]
Basic Information on Accreditation Process
- Key Steps in the Accreditor Recognition Process [PDF, 1.99MB]
- FAQs: Federal Recognition Process for Accrediting Agencies [PDF, 215KB]
Decision on ACICS
- Secretary King's Decision to Cease Recognition of ACICS [PDF, 709KB]
- Press Release on Decision
- Senior Department Official Decision to Cease Recognition of ACICS [PDF, 95KB]
- NACIQI Recommendations on ACICS Recognition [PDF, 275KB]
- ED Staff Recommendations on ACICS Recognition
Notice of Decision to Impacted Agencies
- Memo to Accrediting Agencies [PDF, 205KB]
- Letter to Institutions on Withdrawal of Recognition [PDF, 45KB]