Key facts
- Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Dick Durbin are reintroducing the Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act.
- The bill aims to hold colleges accountable for student-loan repayment outcomes and debt levels.
- It requires the Department of Education to set evaluation guidelines for colleges.
- The legislation mandates faster responses from accreditors to fraud investigations.
- The Education Department has its own proposal to reform the accreditation system.
Democratic lawmakers are pushing for greater accountability in the student-loan system, with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Dick Durbin reintroducing the Accreditation Reform and Enhanced Accountability Act. The legislation seeks to overhaul the accreditation process, requiring the Department of Education to establish guidelines that evaluate colleges based on student-loan repayment rates and the ratio of post-graduation debt to earnings. This initiative comes in response to findings that approximately 1.7 million student-loan borrowers were defrauded by accredited institutions between 2021 and 2024. The bill also mandates that accrediting bodies must promptly address state and federal investigations into fraud or misconduct and enhance transparency surrounding their decisions. Warren stated the goal is to ensure students receive an education that improves their lives rather than leaving them with overwhelming debt. The move follows the Education Department's own proposed changes to the accreditation system, which have faced some criticism regarding the inclusion of free speech protections. Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent affirmed the department's commitment to lowering costs, simplifying repayment, connecting education to workforce needs, and strengthening accountability.