Statement from the U.S. Department of Education on the Status of Recognition of Nine Accrediting Agencies and Withdrawal of Recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

Archived Information

Statement from the U.S. Department of Education on the Status of Recognition of Nine Accrediting Agencies and Withdrawal of Recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

June 2, 2021

"Today the Department of Education's (ED) Senior Department Official (SDO) informed nine accreditors about the status of their recognition. The following agencies were approved for renewal of recognition for five years:

  • American Board of Funeral Services Education, Committee on Accreditation
  • Association of Institutions of Jewish Studies
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
  • Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
  • Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
  • Montessori Accreditation Council on Teacher Education
  • National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.

"The SDO also notified the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation that within 12 months, it must come into compliance with the specific criteria outlined in the SDO's letter and submit a compliance report demonstrating the agency's compliance. If recognition is renewed following a decision on the compliance report, the period of recognition will not exceed five years from the date of today's SDO decision.

Withdrawal of Recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

"The SDO agreed with the recommendations of ED's accreditation staff and the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) – an independent federal advisory committee – to withdraw recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). Accreditors are entrusted with assuring institutional quality and acting as gatekeepers to federal student aid. This oversight helps ensure that institutions deliver on the promises made to students and safeguard federal resources. In its February 2021 final staff report, accreditation staff found that ACICS failed to comply with federal recognition criteria including monitoring of compliance of institutions and inadequate administrative capability. Such breaches in compliance, as determined by agency staff and NACIQI, warrant withdrawal of federal recognition."