Trump's New Rules for Colleges: A Shift in Accreditation

A recent move by the former president has stirred up the world of higher education. The former president signed an executive order. This order aims to change how colleges get accredited. The focus will now be on "results, " not just meeting basic standards. This means colleges might be judged on how well they teach, rather than just having the right paperwork. The former president also wants to make sure colleges follow the rules about reporting big gifts from foreign countries. Some people think certain schools, like Harvard, might not be following these rules. Federal law says schools must report any gift or contract from a foreign source worth $250, 000 or more in a year. Some in Congress want to lower this amount to $50, 000. The former president has been critical of Harvard University. His administration has frozen billions in federal funding to Harvard. They have also demanded big changes to the school's policies. The former president even suggested Harvard might lose its tax-exempt status. This is all part of a bigger effort to change how colleges operate. Colleges and universities get accredited by third-party groups, not the government. But the Department of Education decides which of these groups to recognize. Accreditation is important because it affects which schools can offer federal student aid. This includes loans and grants that help students pay for college. The new executive order tells the Department of Education to hold accreditors accountable. This means they could lose their federal recognition if they don't follow the rules. The order also says the Department of Education should start recognizing new accreditors. The former president's team thinks current accreditors are too focused on "woke ideology" instead of results. They want to change this by creating new accreditation paths. The former president also signed other orders. These orders aim to help Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). They also want to make sure students learn about artificial intelligence. Plus, they want to boost apprenticeships and give educators more power to enforce school discipline policies. The former president has been vocal about his concerns. He even asked if the new order would look into students at prestigious schools who struggle with basic math. This shows his focus on the quality of education, not just the reputation of the school. The former president wants to make sure colleges are teaching students what they need to know.