Leadership and Companies
FTC Backs Accreditation Competition to Lower Higher Education Costs
The FTC endorsed Education Department reforms designed to expand accreditation options and reduce barriers for new accrediting agencies.
What happened
The Federal Trade Commission backed the Education Department’s proposed rule to simplify recognition of new higher-education accreditors and increase competition. In a comment filed Monday, FTC officials said accreditation monopolies can raise tuition, limit student choice and discourage innovation. The agency cited the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, where 21 of 27 commissioners are university administrators or faculty, as an example of incumbent influence. It also criticized barriers linked to professional-program accreditors, including the American Bar Association’s role in legal education. The FTC’s vote authorizing the comment was 2-0.
Why it matters
More accrediting options and lower administrative burdens could reduce tuition costs, widen consumer choice and improve programme quality for millions of American students.
Source: FTC News