FAQ: Federal Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Negotiated Rulemaking

Frequently asked questions and information about 2026 Higher Education Negotiated Rulemaking and the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) Committee.

Negotiated Rulemaking (or “neg reg”) process is used to develop Higher Education Act regulations. Department representatives and negotiators from affected interest groups, such as accreditors, institutions, students, and policymakers, participate on neg reg committees to negotiate proposed rules on various regulations. Following negotiations, the public is provided an opportunity for comment before regulations are finalized by the Department.

The AIM Committee was established by the U.S. Department of Education as a negotiated rulemaking committee to develop proposed regulations pursuant to Higher Education Act of 1965. AIM is a federal effort focused on updating regulations related to accreditation and quality assurance in higher education. You can review the list of negotiators and a summary of proposed changes. More information is available on the Department’s Neg Reg for Higher Education website.

The AIM committee is set to meet for two sessions: April 13-17, 2026, and May 18-22, 2026. After that, the Department publishes proposed rules for public comment before issuing final regulations in November.

Anticipated topics include:

  • The role and responsibilities of accreditors
  • Student outcomes and accountability measures
  • Processes for recognizing new accreditation providers or models
  • Increased federal direction on accreditor conduct, cost, accreditation standards

We encourage you to review the draft regulations.

Depending on the outcomes, the rulemaking could lead to changes in federal expectations for accrediting agencies, including how they evaluate institutions, define quality, and oversee new types of educational offerings.

At this stage, there are no immediate changes for institutions. However, new federal regulations may impact ACCJC’s Accreditation Standards, policies, and procedures. ACCJC will continue to monitor developments and communicate any implications to our membership.

ACCJC will share updates as the process unfolds and provide context on potential implications for member institutions. Institutions may also follow updates directly from the Department’s Neg Reg for Higher Education website, including notices of meetings and opportunities for public comment.

Yes. While negotiated rulemaking committee members represent stakeholder groups, the broader higher education community typically has an opportunity to submit comments once proposed regulations are published. This is an important avenue for institutions to share perspectives.

If the committee reaches consensus, the Department generally uses that agreement as the basis for proposed regulations. If consensus is not reached, the Department may still propose regulations. In both cases, there will be a public comment period before final rules are issued.