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PAPSA Members,

Earlier today, State Representative Matt Gabler sent a co-sponsorship memorandum to the entire PA State House of Representatives explaining legislation he is introducing next week to help students at schools currently accredited by ACICS. Please see the memo at the bottom of this email.

Representative Gabler has worked closely with PAPSA in the development of this legislation. If the US Department of Education does pull ACICS' recognition, this legislation is intended to make sure students at ACICS schools do not lose their financial aid and remain eligible for professional licensure while schools transition to new accreditation.

Thanks for your consideration of this request. Please call me if you have further questions.

Aaron

 

Memorandum

Posted:	September 2, 2016 12:17 PM
To:	All House Members
From:	Representative Matt Gabler
Subject:	Legislation to Protect Accreditation Status for PA Schools

 

In the near future, I plan to introduce freestanding legislation to protect the financial assistance and other education benefits and rights of thousands of Pennsylvania higher education students.

 

The US Department of Education is currently considering ending the recognition status of one of the country’s largest national accrediting agencies – the "Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools" (ACICS). This accrediting agency has been in operation for over 100 years and it currently accredits over 800 colleges and schools across the country, including approximately 45 institutions of higher education located in Pennsylvania. Although ACICS is considered to have high standards for an accrediting agency, some leaders within the US Department of Education have expressed concern because they believe ACICS has been lax in enforcing those standards in recent years.

 

The US Department of Education has never ended the recognition status of an accreditor this large before. It the Department takes this action, then it has indicated it will do everything it can to protect the existing schools accredited by ACICS and the students that attend these schools. The Department has already indicated it will provide schools a transition period of at least 18 months to pursue and receive accreditation by another recognized accrediting body. During this transition process, students will remain eligible for federal financial aid and other benefits. However, it will be up to each state to determine the best way to protect state financial aid and other benefits for these students.

 

My legislation will mirror what the federal government has indicated it will do to protect these students. The legislation will provide a similar 18-month transition process for schools to receive new accreditation and the students at these institutions will continue to receive all PHEAA funds and other financial assistance they are eligible for. My legislation will also make sure these students’ ability to be licensed and certified in the fields they are being trained for will not be jeopardized in this transition process.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this very important legislation to protect these students. According to the PA Department of Education, there are over 22,000 students that attend a Pennsylvania school currently accredited by ACICS. Of these students, PHEAA has indicated over 4,000 of them currently receive state financial education assistance. It is also very important to note that my legislation will not cost the Commonwealth any new expenditures since it is meant to protect status quo. The PHEAA funding that would be protected for these students is already accounted for in the FY 2016/17 State Budget and through PHEAA supplemental revenue that was already earmarked as part of this year’s enacted budget.