Obama’s college accreditation reform: A welcome first step

By Beth Akers and Stuart M. Butler. The Obama Administration recently announced  a new experimental initiative that, for the first time, will allow non-accredited institutions to gain access to the federal student aid program.  This initiative, which will be limited to 10 experimental sites, will make it possible for students to use Pell grants and federal student loans to finance investments in education at accredited colleges and universities that make extensive use of new and innovative models that haven’t yet received a stamp of approval from the system of accreditation – such as MOOCs, which are becoming increasingly popular alternatives. More...