Three programmatic accrediting agencies have voluntarily withdrawn their petitions for federal recognition, according to an announcement by Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent. The agencies include the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), and the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). The announcement was made during a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), which advises the Department of Education on accreditation matters.
The withdrawals occur amid a broader overhaul of the federal accreditation system. Recent regulations introduced by the Trump administration have sought more stringent requirements for student outcomes and changes to the composition of accreditor boards, moving away from a traditional peer-review model. Federally recognized accreditors serve as "gatekeepers," determining whether the institutions they oversee are eligible to receive federal student aid.
Under Secretary Kent stated that the agencies withdrew to "avoid" new regulations and claimed the groups were "unwilling or unable" to meet higher standards. However, representatives from the accrediting bodies disputed this characterization. Laura Rasar King, executive director of CEPH, stated that the decision followed two years of analysis and noted that the recognition process has become increasingly political across multiple administrations.
MEAC issued a statement explaining that their decision was prompted by "shifting federal priorities" that made the timeline and standards difficult to predict. The council noted that withdrawing allows them to reapply in the future on their own timeline. Public health and chiropractic officials noted that many programmatic accreditors operate without federal recognition, often relying instead on private recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The shift signals a changing relationship between the federal government and professional education standards. For small-business owners in these fields and students pursuing these degrees, the "gatekeeper" status of an accreditor determines whether a school can accept Pell Grants or federal student loans. If an agency is not recognized by the Department of Education, the schools it accredits must find an alternative path to federal aid eligibility or transition to a model where students pay through private means or out-of-pocket. The cost of maintaining federal recognition—involving thousands of hours of administrative labor and significant legal fees—has led some groups to conclude the benefit is no longer worth the expense.
The broader impact involves a potential precedent for "decoupling" professional standards from federal oversight. If more agencies withdraw, the Department of Education loses a direct mechanism for enforcing its specific outcome metrics on specialized programs like midwifery or public health. The next steps for these agencies involve internal reviews to determine if they will reapply for recognition under modified terms or remain independent of federal oversight. MEAC has indicated it plans to reapply at an unspecified future date, while CEPH and CCE have not set deadlines for a return to the federal recognition process.