Accrediting Agencies Currently Undergoing Review for the Purpose of Recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education

Issuing agencies

Abstract

This notice provides information to members of the public on submitting written comments for accrediting agencies currently undergoing review for the purpose of recognition by the Secretary of Education.

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69826-69827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22644]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Accrediting Agencies Currently Undergoing Review for the Purpose 
of Recognition by the U.S. Secretary of Education

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary 
Education.

ACTION: Call for written third-party comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides information to members of the public on 
submitting written comments for accrediting agencies currently 
undergoing review for the purpose of recognition by the Secretary of 
Education.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 30 days from publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Daggett, Director, 
Accreditation Group, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department 
of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202, telephone: 
(202) 453-7615, or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#27424b4e5d464542534f094346404042535367424309404851"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d7b2bbbeadb6b5b2a3bff9b3b6b0b0b2a3a397b2b3f9b0b8a1">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This request for written third-party 
comments concerning the performance of accrediting agencies under 
review by the Secretary of Education is required by Section 
496(n)(1)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 
1001, et seq. (HEA), and pertains to the third meeting in 2027 of the 
National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity 
(NACIQI). The meeting date will be announced in a later Federal 
Register notice and will describe how to register to provide oral 
comments at the meeting. Written comments submitted in response to this 
Federal Register notice must be submitted to the electronic mail 
address identified below on or before the comment due date.
    Agencies Under Review and Evaluation: The Department requests 
written comments from the public on the following accrediting agencies, 
which are currently undergoing review and evaluation by the 
Accreditation Group, and which will be reviewed at the third 2027 
NACIQI meeting.
    The agencies are listed by the type of application each agency has 
submitted. Please note, each agency's current scope of recognition is 
indicated below. If any agency requested to expand its scope of 
recognition, both the current scope of recognition and the requested 
scope of recognition are identified below.

Applications for Renewal of Recognition

    1. Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation of nursing education programs and 
schools, both postsecondary and higher degree, which offer a 
certificate, diploma, or a recognized professional degree including 
clinical doctorate, master's, baccalaureate, associate, diploma, and 
practical nursing programs including those offered via distance 
education. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: Throughout the 
United States.
    2. Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation of basic 
certificate, basic graduate nurse-midwifery, direct entry midwifery, 
and pre-certification nurse-midwifery education programs, including 
those programs that offer distance education. Geographic Area of 
Accrediting Activities: Throughout the United States.
    3. American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on 
Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Scope of Recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of 
physical therapist education programs leading to the first professional 
degree at the master's or doctoral level and physical therapist 
assistant education programs at the associate degree level and for its 
accreditation of such programs offered via distance education. 
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: Throughout the United 
States.
    4. Higher Learning Commission. Scope of Recognition: The 
accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of 
degree-granting institutions, including tribal institutions, and the 
accreditation of programs offered via distance education, 
correspondence courses, and direct assessment within these 
institutions. This recognition extends to the Institutional Actions 
Council jointly with the Board of Trustees of the Commission for 
decisions on cases for continued accreditation or reaffirmation, and 
continued candidacy, and to the Appeals Body jointly with the Board of 
Trustees of the Commission for decisions related to initial candidacy 
or accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation. Geographic Area of

[[Page 69827]]

Accrediting Activities: Throughout the United States.
    5. Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Scope of 
Recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy 
status'') of institutions of higher education including distance, 
correspondence education programs and direct assessment programs 
offered at those institutions. Recognition extends to the Executive 
Committee to act on behalf of the Commission as necessary on cases of 
initial, reaffirmed, and continued candidacy or initial, reaffirmed and 
continued accreditation. Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: 
Throughout the United States.
    6. New England Commission of Higher Education. Scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidacy 
status'') of institutions of higher education including the 
accreditation of programs offered via distance education and direct 
assessment within those institutions. Jointly with the Commission, this 
recognition extends to its Executive Committee and also to the Appeals 
Body for decisions related to the appeal of denial or withdrawal of 
candidacy; probation; and denial or withdrawal of accreditation. 
Geographic Area of Accrediting Activities: Throughout the United 
States.
    7. New York State Board of Regents (Public Postsecondary Vocational 
Education, Practical Nursing). Scope of Recognition: State agency for 
the approval of public postsecondary vocational education in the field 
of practical nursing, including via distance education, offered by a 
Board of Cooperative Educational Services, an Educational Opportunity 
Center, City School Districts, and County Boards of Supervisors to 
prepare persons for licensed practical nursing careers in the State of 
New York.
    8. Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. Scope of 
Recognition: State agency for the approval of public postsecondary 
vocational education.
    9. Pennsylvania State Board of Career and Technical Education. 
Scope of Recognition: State agency for the approval of public 
postsecondary vocational education.
    10. WASC Senior College and University Commission. Scope of 
recognition: The accreditation and preaccreditation (``Candidate for 
Accreditation'') of institutions of higher education that offer the 
baccalaureate degree or above, including distance education programs 
offered at those institutions. Geographic Area of Accrediting 
Activities: Throughout the United States.
    Requested scope of recognition: The accreditation and 
preaccreditation (``Candidate for Accreditation'') of institutions of 
higher education, including programs offered by those institutions via 
distance education and/or using direct assessment. This recognition 
extends to the Executive Committee. Geographic Area of Accrediting 
Activities: Throughout the United States.

Submission of Written Comments Regarding a Specific Accrediting Agency 
or State Agency Under Review

    Written comments in response to this Federal Register notice about 
the recognition of any of the accrediting agencies listed above must be 
received on or before the comment due date, in the 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f6a29e9f8492a69784828fb5999b9b93988285b69392d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ecaf6f7ecfaceffeceae7ddf1f3f3fbf0eaeddefbfab0f9f1e8">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> mailbox. Please include in the subject line 
``Written Comments: (agency name).'' The electronic mail (email) must 
include the name(s), title, organization/affiliation, mailing address, 
email address, and telephone number of the person(s) making the 
comment. Comments should be submitted as a PDF, Microsoft Word 
document, or in a medium compatible with Microsoft Word that is 
attached to an email or provided in the body of an email message. 
Comments about an agency that has submitted a petition for initial 
recognition, renewal of recognition, or an expansion of scope must 
relate to the agency's compliance with the Criteria for the recognition 
of Accrediting Agencies, which are available at: <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-602?toc=1">https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-602?toc=1</a>.
    Only written materials submitted by the deadline to the email 
address listed in this notice, and in accordance with these 
instructions, become part of the official record concerning agencies 
scheduled for review and are considered by the Department and NACIQI in 
their deliberations. Comments about the agencies listed in this Federal 
Register notice may also be provided orally at the third 2027 NACIQI 
meeting, which has not yet been scheduled, but which will be announced 
in a future Federal Register notice.
    Electronic Access to this Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/">https://www.govinfo.gov/</a>. At this site, you can view this document, 
as well as all other documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site. You may also access documents of the Department published in 
the Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.
    Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1099b; 20 U.S.C. 1011c.

David Barker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2026-22644 Filed 11-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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