Department Defers Decision on For-Profit Accreditor Renewal

The Department of Education has deferred its decision on whether to continue recognizing the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, as it announced Thursday the recognition status of nine accrediting agencies.

A decision will be made on the renewal of recognition for ACCSC -- an agency that predominantly accredits for-profit career institutions and has come under fire for approving institutions with poor student outcomes -- once it submits further information about its monitoring, evaluation and actions related to high-risk institutions, according to the department.

ACCSC was at the center of the debate among members of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity during its July meeting, at which the advisory committee broke from the department in recommending that a senior department official renew ACCSC’s federal recognition for three years.

The department also notified three other agencies -- the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, the Council on Occupational Education, and the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools -- that they would have 12 months to come into compliance with the department’s criteria in order to be considered for renewal of recognition. If the agencies are once again federally recognized, their renewal will not last any longer than five years from Thursday’s decision.