For more than a year, criticism of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools has been growing over the poor student outcomes at its member colleges and allegations of misconduct against some of those institutions. Now the U.S. Department of Education has recommended that the accrediting agency lose its authority as a gatekeeper of federal financial aid. In a 29-page report released on Wednesday, department analysts laid out 21 areas where they say the accreditor, known as Acics, has failed to follow federal rules. In a call with reporters, department officials said the accreditor’s shortcomings were "extensive and pervasive."

June 16, 2016 ・ From Chronicle of Higher Education