Inspector General Review of Credit Hours and Program Length Raise Important Questions about Assessing Program Quality and Disbursing Federal Student Aid
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Accrediting agencies responsible for assessing how institutions of higher education determine program length and assign credit hours to coursework should establish definitions of credit hours and minimum standards for program length to ensure federal student financial aid is disbursed appropriately, the Department of Education’s Inspector General told the House Education and Labor Committee today.
Credit hours are used to determine the amount of federal aid for which a student is eligible. Accrediting agencies recognized by the Department of Education are intended to ensure that institutions provide quality content and academic rigor at the postsecondary level. The Inspector General found that in one case an accrediting agency approved an institution of higher education for accreditation even though its evaluators noted the institution had an “egregious” credit hour policy and granted students an inflated number of credit hours for certain education programs.
“It is unacceptable that institutions are inflating credit hours to profit off of student aid, when taxpayers and students are footing the bill,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the committee. “This Congress has worked to make sure our student aid programs work in the best interest of students. Congress must ensure that the accreditation process works to ensure that institutions of higher education provide high quality education programs worthy of students’ and taxpayers’ investments.”
The Department of Education Inspector General has issued several reports looking into accrediting agencies' standards for program length. The most recent report, reviewing the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC), found HLC’s standards for accreditation do not establish the definition of a credit hour or set minimum program length and the assignment of credit hours.
“This issue has become even more significant as on-line education has exploded in recent years, making credit hour assignment difficult, its comparison to traditional classroom delivery a challenge, and its value increasingly important in order to ensure that students and taxpayers get what they are paying for,” said Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Education.
Sylvia Manning, President of HLC testified that there is “room for improvement in accrediting agencies’ assessment and assurance of quality,” but expressed doubt that defining a credit hour would contribute to the assurance or improvement of quality in American higher education.
Yesterday, the Department of Education proposed rules and definitions to strengthen federal student aid programs, including a definition of a credit hour. In addition, the Department is proposing that accrediting agencies develop procedures to determine whether institutions of higher education credit hour policies are acceptable.
To view witness testimony, click here.
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