Ed Dept takes aim at HLC over Art Institutes accreditation dispute

Education Dive

Hallie Busta

July 6, 2020

Dive Brief:

• A recent U.S. Department of Education staff report takes aim at the Higher Learning Commission, alleging the regional accreditor didn’t follow its own rules when notifying schools about their accreditation status during a change of ownership.
• The report focuses on two for-profit Art Institutes that were transferred in 2017 from one owner, Education Management Corp., to another, the nonprofit Dream Center. Students have also sued, saying the Dream Center presented the schools as accredited when they were not.
• In its report, the department called for banning HLC from accrediting new institutions “until they have come into full compliance.”

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