Murray Statement on DeVos Decision to Reinstate Controversial For-Profit College Accreditor

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on Secretary DeVos’ decision to reinstate the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as a federally-recognized accreditor. ACICS lost its federal recognition in 2016 after the Obama Administration determined it was not adequately reviewing for-profit colleges, including the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges and ITT Tech. After Secretary DeVos decided to revisit this decision, her designee issued a recommendation with glaring misrepresentations that threw into question the entire report’s conclusions regarding ACICS’ compliance.

“For years, ACICS looked the other way while students were being cheated and defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges and it’s extremely concerning that Secretary DeVos reinstated their accreditation recognition without releasing any credible evidence to show they have since reformed their ways. This decision will allow more taxpayer dollars to flow to predatory schools that do not provide students with the education or tools they need to succeed. Once again, DeVos and the for-profit college executives she hired at the Department are making decisions that benefit the for-profit college industry at the expense of our nation’s students.”

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