By Eric Kelderman, Washington
President Obama didn’t mention accreditation in his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. But in a supplemental document released after the speech, the president made it clear that he is seeking major changes in the accountability system for higher education.
In the middle of the nine-page document, “The President’s Plan for a Strong Middle Class and a Strong America,” Mr. Obama laid out his broad intent to hold “colleges accountable for cost, value, and quality,” including a call to set benchmarks for affordability and student outcomes as criteria for receiving federal student financial aid. Regional and national accreditors are now the primary gatekeepers for access to those dollars.
New benchmarks could be incorporated “into the existing accreditation system,” the plan states, or created “by establishing a new, alternative system of accreditation that would provide pathways for higher-education models and colleges to receive federal student aid based on performance and results.”
Accreditors and other higher-education experts said a direct reference to accreditation by a sitting president was rare. But being on the president’s radar isn’t necessarily viewed as a positive by accreditors and colleges, which could be in for even greater federal scrutiny.
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From the Plan document:
Holding colleges accountable for cost, value and quality: Today, the federal government provides more than $150 billion each year in direct loan and grant aid for America’s students. In an era of limited resources, we must allocate the federal investment in student aid wisely, in order to promote opportunity in higher education and ensure the best return on investment. The President will call on Congress to consider value, affordability, and student outcomes in making determinations about which colleges and universities receive access to federal student aid, either by incorporating measures of value and affordability into the existing accreditation system; or by establishing a new, alternative system of accreditation that would provide pathways for higher education models and colleges to receive federal student aid based on performance and results.
A new College Scorecard to provide clear information about college: Last year, President Obama called for the development of a new College Scorecard to give students and families clear information about college costs and quality as they make decisions about higher education. The Administration is unveiling this interactive tool so that every student and family can gain information on individual colleges and universities – and compare them to similar institutions – as they conduct their college search.