National policy · Policy and regulation · United States
US Education Department publishes final AIM rules revising accreditor recognition criteria
The US Department of Education has issued final regulations from its Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization rulemaking, revising the federal criteria for recognising accrediting agencies and related institutional eligibility rules.
Why it matters: US accrediting agencies now face revised federal criteria for recognition under the final AIM regulations published on 30 October 2026.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a US accrediting body, said in a policy alert that the US Department of Education published final regulations on 30 October 2026 from its Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) rulemaking.
According to MSCHE, the regulations revise the federal criteria for recognising accrediting agencies, set out in 34 CFR § 602, as well as related rules on institutional eligibility.
Editor’s view
Richard Davies, Policy and Finance Editor
The US Department of Education has published, in final form on 30 October 2026, revised criteria for recognising accrediting agencies under 34 CFR § 602, together with revisions to related institutional eligibility rules.
