[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1707-E1708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


INTRODUCTION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACCREDITING AGENCY RESPONSIBILITY 
                              ACT OF 2002

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                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 30, 2002

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, today, I have introduced legislation that 
will remove the requirement that institutions of higher education be 
accredited in order to be eligible for federal funds. The system of 
accreditation of colleges and universities that has developed in the 
United States does not serve its avowed purpose of ensuring that 
institutions of higher education have good academic programs and 
standards, and it fails to provide hardly any benefit at all to our 
higher education system. Additionally, more effective and less costly 
mechanisms are already in place to protect students because no 
institution can receive federal funds until the Department of Education 
certifies its financial and administrative capacity.

[[Page E1708]]

  Accreditation these days has little to do with academic rigor or 
educational outcomes; rather, it serves only to show that a school has 
the right set of inputs, and virtually every college and university in 
the nation is able to comply with these standards. Because federal law 
makes eligibility to receive federal student loan funds conditional 
upon retaining accredited status from an accrediting association 
recognized by the Department of Education, schools have a rather large 
incentive to maintain their accreditation status. This places an 
enormous amount of influence in the hands of the accreditors, who 
oftentimes force schools to reallocate resources or even adopt policies 
at odds with a school's individual mission in order to comply with 
accreditation requirements and recommendations.
  As we continue to pursue policies of accountability for our education 
institutions and strive to do our part in making higher education 
affordable for more Americans, we should examine ways that the 
accreditation process can be changed to play a more useful role--one 
that provides meaningful information about a school to students and 
parents. I believe my legislation is the necessary first step to 
achieve this goal.

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