The U.S. Department of Education is seeking written comments on ten accrediting agencies undergoing review for recognition by the education secretary. The notice sets a deadline of 30 days from its November 5, 2026 Federal Register publication, without printing a calendar date.
The department says the agencies will be considered at the third 2027 meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. The meeting has not yet been scheduled; a later notice will give its date and explain how to register to offer oral comments.
Which agencies are listed
The notice lists the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing, the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education, the physical therapy education commission of the American Physical Therapy Association, and the Higher Learning, Middle States, New England and WASC Senior College and University commissions.
It also lists the New York State Board of Regents for specified public postsecondary vocational education in practical nursing, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, and the Pennsylvania State Board of Career and Technical Education. The notice identifies each agency's current recognized scope; WASC also has a requested scope listed.
These are applications for renewal of recognition. The notice is a call for comments, not a final decision on any agency's recognition or a finding about a particular school.
How to submit
The department asks for comments about a named agency to be emailed to the mailbox specified in the notice, with a subject identifying the agency. It requires the commenter's name, title, organization or affiliation, mailing address, email address and telephone number. The notice accepts a compatible attachment or text in the email body.
Comments about an agency seeking initial recognition, renewal or an expanded scope must relate to compliance with the federal criteria for recognizing accrediting agencies. Only written materials submitted on time to the specified email address and in accordance with the instructions become part of the official record for the review, the department says.