Federal accreditation and accountability rulemaking outlined as "imminent"; colleges urged to review and prepare

Cheryl Dowd, senior director for the State Authorization Network at WCET, told LTAC she expects the Department of Education's accreditation notice of proposed rulemaking to be released soon following OIRA review, and that the department aims for a November notice to meet statutory timing for rules to be effective July 1, 2027. "It is at the final stop before it's released as proposed rules," she said, describing the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs review and urging institutions to comment during the public period.

Dowd also reviewed the Department's final accountability rules released July 1, 2026, and described forthcoming negotiated rulemakings on Title IV topics (change of ownership, administrative capability, program length, and 90/10) plus a separate rulemaking intended to lower anticompetitive barriers around textbook packaging and credit transfer. She warned that FERPA-related guidance or notices of proposed rulemaking may arrive without a negotiated committee process and urged vigilance on data privacy and AI implications for institutions.