A coalition of Republican-led states is taking steps to create a brand-new agency to accredit colleges and universities, framing the move as a way to bring greater “intellectual diversity” to higher education.
Accreditation agencies play a key role in higher education, as colleges and universities must be accredited for their students to qualify for federal financial aid. Creating a new accrediting body would give these states an alternative to existing agencies, which some conservatives have criticized as ideologically one-sided.
The push reflects a broader effort by Republican-led governments to reshape the landscape of higher education in the United States.
