U.S. News & World Report: Education Department Beefs Up Accreditation

The Department of Education unveiled a slate of executive actions it’s taking to beef up accountability in the higher education accreditation system, which Education Secretary Arne Duncan said is filled with “watchdogs that don’t bite.”

Colleges and universities must be accredited in order for their students to tap federal student aid, an annual investment of $150 billion. And accreditors are responsible for ensuring baseline levels of acceptable quality and performance for each institution and degree they oversee.