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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 2, 2016 12:17 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Matt Gabler |
| To: | All House members |
| 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. |
Introduced as HB2338