Reform higher-education accreditation

Project 2025 recommends opening the accreditation market and changing federal recognition. Executive Order 14279 and Education Department actions pursue competition, easier switching, new accreditors, and negotiated rulemaking.

Project 2025 said

Revamp the system for recognizing accreditation agencies for Title IV purposes by removing the department's monopoly on recognition by (1) authorizing states to recognize accreditation agencies for Title IV gatekeeping purposes and/or (2) authorizing state agencies to act as accreditation agencies for institutions throughout the United States.

Chapter: 11 · Department of Education
Author: Lindsey M. Burke
Department: U.S. Department of Education
Printed page: 353
PDF page: 385
Last verified: August 16, 2026

Open Project 2025 — Chapter 11, printed page 353PDF viewer page 385

Verified against the canonical Heritage Foundation PDF: printed page 353, PDF viewer page 385.

Compared with

Government did

Match: Partial Alignment

Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education

The order directed federal accreditation reforms. The Education Department has eased accreditor switching, resumed consideration of new accreditors, issued interpretive guidance, and begun negotiated rulemaking.

Action type: Executive Order
Identifier: Executive Order 14279
Current status: Partially Implemented
In effect: Partly
Last verified: August 16, 2026

Why this match

The executive and agency actions advance a more open accreditation market, but Project 2025 also calls for Congress to amend the Higher Education Act and that statutory step is not complete.

How this can change

Reversibility: Moderate

Presidential Rescission

A future President may rescind the order and an agency may revise guidance or regulations through lawful process; statutory Higher Education Act changes remain Congress's responsibility.

Authority: Congress · President · Agency · Courts · States

Show me the receipts

3 public source receipts

Our source standard Report a source or factual issue

Reform higher-education accreditation

Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education

How this can change

Presidential Rescission

3 public source receipts

Project 2025 text

Government action

Current legal status