National policy · Policy and regulation · United States
US Department revises accreditor recognition rules to implement Executive Order 14279
A document published in the US Federal Register on 30 October 2026 revises the regulations governing the Secretary's recognition of accrediting agencies, with stated aims including reducing regulatory burden.
Why it matters: Accrediting agencies that seek the Secretary's recognition are directly affected by the revised regulations, which also address institutional eligibility and student assistance provisions.
According to the Federal Register, the Department revises its existing regulations on recognising accrediting agencies, in a document titled 'Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization'.
The Department said the revisions implement Executive Order 14279, Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education, along with other Administration priorities.
The Department also said the changes are intended to bring the regulations into closer alignment with statute and to reduce regulatory burden.
The document's title states that it also covers institutional eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and student assistance general provisions.
Editor’s view
Richard Davies, Policy and Finance Editor
Accrediting agencies that seek the Secretary's recognition are the parties covered by the revised recognition regulations, which the Department published in the Federal Register on 30 October 2026 alongside provisions on institutional eligibility and student assistance.
