The folks running the U.S. Department of Education seem to think they have plenary power over everything educational. They don’t, but they’ll always err on the side of authority.
The latest confrontation is over accreditation, with the Biden camp aiming at a Florida law that requires its colleges and universities to switch accreditors periodically — perfectly in line with a 2019 regulation. No matter. If Florida wants it, it must be opposed!
In this Minding the Campus article, Andrew Gillen of the Texas Public Policy Foundation looks into the controversy and finds no merit in the Department of Education’s position.
Gillen writes:
Reading between the lines, the Biden administration is clearly trying to kill the Florida reform in two ways. First, they hope they can convince courts that the Florida law violates U.S. law by engaging in some truly astounding rhetorical jujitsu regarding the word “voluntary.” Second, the requirement for ED preapproval before a college can even apply to a new accreditor gives the Biden administration the ability to quietly circumvent the Florida law by simply never granting permission.
As Gillen notes, colleges only need accreditation because they want students to obtain financial aid from the government. It doesn’t do anything to guarantee educational quality.
We should cut this Gordian knot and do away with federal student aid.