The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity recommended Wednesday that the Education Department deny the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences recognition as a federally approved accreditor. The committee voted 9-3 in favor of the recommendation, citing noncompliance with federal policies.
NACCAS currently accredits more than 1,000 institutions and its approval allows those programs to access federal student aid. A key concern raised by Education Department staff and committee members involved earnings data showing that undergraduate students at roughly two-thirds of NACCAS member institutions earn less four years after graduation than adults with only high school diplomas. Department officials contended this raised questions about whether the accreditor’s student achievement standards are sufficiently rigorous.
NACCAS officials countered that the department and committee were evaluating factors like graduate earnings that the accreditor does not yet have authority to assess. They also argued that available earnings data is inaccurate because it does not account for tips, a significant portion of cosmetology workers’ income. However, the Education Department is planning to require accreditors to establish minimum earnings thresholds through new regulations expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
The advisory committee’s recommendation is not binding. Education Under Secretary Nicholas Kent must make the final decision on NACCAS’s petition for renewed recognition. If the department denies recognition, affected institutions would need to locate alternative accreditors or forfeit access to federal funding. If recognition is maintained, NACCAS would be restricted from accepting new clients. Earlier this year, the advisory committee recommended stripping recognition from another accreditor, though the Education Department opted to provide that agency time to address compliance issues.
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