View Rule

Printer-Friendly Version Download RIN Data in XML

ED/OPE

RIN: 1840-AD37

Publication ID: Fall 2019

Title: Accreditation and Related Issues
Abstract: The Department is proposing to amend, through negotiated rulemaking, the regulations relating to the Secretary’s recognition of accrediting agencies and accreditation procedures as a component of institutional eligibility for participation in Federal student financial aid under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
Agency: Department of Education(ED)	Priority: Economically Significant
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda	Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Completed Actions
Major: Yes	Unfunded Mandates: No
EO 13771 Designation: Other
CFR Citation: 34 CFR 600.2, 600.4, 600.5, 600.6, 600.9 34 CFR 600.11, 600.12, 600.31, 600.32, 600.33 34 CFR 600.41, 600.42, 602.3, 602.4, 602.10 34 CFR 602.11, 602.12, 602.13, 602.14, 602.15 34 CFR 602.16, 602.17, 602.18, 602.19, 602.20 34 CFR 602.21, 602.22, 602.23, 602.24, 602.25 34 CFR 602.26, 602.27, 602.29, 602.30, 602.31 34 CFR 602.32, 602.33, 603.34, 602.35, 602.36 34 CFR 602.37, 602.39, 603.24, 603.25 34 CFR 654 (was removed and reserved), 668.8 34 CFR 668.26, 668.29, 668.41, 668.43, 668.50 34 CFR 668.188, 668.198, 674.33
Legal Authority: 20 U.S.C. 3474 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 20 U.S.C. 1011 et seq.

Legal Deadline: None

Statement of Need:

We believe that a revision to the accreditation regulations is necessary to restore the separation of duties in responsibilities in the triad: the State Authorization, Accreditation, and the U.S. Department of Education. We believe that the accreditation regulations may contain redundancy, unnecessary duplication of oversight, and pose broad Federal overreach in measuring program quality. We also want to ensure that accreditors while measuring institutional quality do not infringe on autonomy of institutions in their missions.

Summary of the Legal Basis:

The Department has the authority to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee with the purpose of creating, amending or rescinding regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Alternatives:

These are identified through the negotiated rulemaking process and presented in the notice of proposed rulemaking.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

These are identified through the negotiated rulemaking process and presented in the notice of proposed rulemaking.

Risks:

These are identified through the negotiated rulemaking process and presented in the notice of proposed rulemaking.

Timetable:

Action	Date	FR Cite
Notice of Intention to Commence Negotiated Rulemaking	07/31/2018	83 FR 36814
NPRM	06/12/2019	84 FR 27404
NPRM Comment Period End	07/12/2019
Final Action	11/01/2019	84 FR 58834
Final Action Effective	07/01/2020

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No	Government Levels Affected: None
Federalism: Yes
Included in the Regulatory Plan: Yes
Public Comment URL: www.regulations.gov
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No
Agency Contact: Lynn Mahaffie Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education Room 4060, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202 Phone:202 453-7862