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FAQsWhy did CCE make the decision to withdraw from USDE recognition?CCE determined that the growing burdens, both to the agency and its programs, of increasingly prescriptive recognition requirements now outweigh the limited benefits. Continuing to pursue recognition would risk CCE’s independence and its ability to set accreditation standards in consultation with its constituents, based on the emerging needs of chiropractic education and the profession. Specific new and proposed requirements that factored into CCE’s decision included: • Weakened peer-review process. For more than 50 years, CCE has advanced quality in chiropractic education through a peer-review process grounded in the values of both the chiropractic profession and higher education. Individuals who serve as officers, directors, or employees of an accredited institution or program, as well as nearly all private practice chiropractors, would no longer be permitted to vote on accreditation standards or policies. This would fundamentally weaken the peer-review process that is the cornerstone of accreditation. • Excessively burdensome and unnecessary standards. The proposed federal requirements would necessitate extensive revisions to CCE Standards despite the fact that many of the underlying topics, including student outcomes, faculty qualifications and evaluation, and research integrity, are already addressed through CCE's existing accreditation processes. Rather than enhancing quality assurance, the new requirements would impose additional layers of federal prescription and reporting on areas already subject to rigorous review. Other provisions, such as those governing academic freedom and viewpoint neutrality, move beyond the traditional role of programmatic accreditation and into matters that have historically been the responsibility of institutions and their governing bodies. The cumulative effect is a significant increase in administrative and compliance burdens with little corresponding improvement in educational quality or public protection. • Funding link for eligibility for recognition. In order to maintain recognition, an accrediting agency would have to have at least one institution or program that currently relies upon the agency’s accreditation to access federal funds (Title IV or non-HEA funds). No CCE programs currently rely on CCE accreditation to access federal funds and thus CCE cannot currently demonstrate compliance under the increasingly rigorous expectations. • Legal and governance concerns. Additional legal requirements as proposed may conflict with the First Amendment, civil rights laws, and noninterference with governance of public institutions. New requirements eliminate the ability of programs to collaborate on key issues (i.e. antitrust immunity) and further undermine the ability of CCE to foster continuous quality improvement among our programs. Ultimately, CCE determined that federal recognition was incompatible with our mission to ensure the quality and integrity of doctor of chiropractic degree programs and residency programs. How does this impact CCE-accredited programs?CCE remains the accrediting body for doctor of chiropractic programs. CCE’s decision to withdraw from USDE recognition will not, by itself, change the CCE accreditation status of any program. Accredited programs will remain subject to CCE’s standards, reporting requirements, and peer-review processes. Institutional accreditation – not CCE’s programmatic accreditation – is the basis on which institutions offering CCE-accredited programs participate in the Title IV federal student-aid programs. CCE is working with accredited programs to confirm that the withdrawal will not disrupt their students’ access to federal financial aid. CCE continues to be recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) , which “affirms that the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established.” How does this impact students attending CCE-accredited programs?CCE does not anticipate a change in the educational experience of students enrolled in CCE-accredited programs. CCE continues to employ a rigorous, collaborative, peer review accreditation process to evaluate the quality of doctor of chiropractic degree education and chiropractic residency programs. This provides assurances to students, future employers and the general public that the education received meets well-established quality standards. That remains true with or without federal recognition. Students should continue to consult their institutions regarding federal financial aid and the licensing authority in the state where they intend to practice regarding applicable licensure requirements. Is there any impact to professional-program loan limits or other federal regulations?The Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) and Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine (DCM) degrees are identified as professional degrees under federal student-loan regulations (34 CFR § 685.102[b] “Professional Student”) and CCE does not currently anticipate that withdrawal from USDE recognition will affect this or other financial-aid-related provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). In fact, the list of professional programs currently includes several professions whose accreditors are not federally recognized . What about state regulations that require CCE to be federally recognized?CCE has identified four states with statutory or regulatory language that refers, in varying ways, to recognition of the accreditor by USDE. CCE is working with its accredited programs, state licensing authorities and other stakeholders to address these provisions and believes that there is a practical and achievable path forward. How are other programmatic accreditors responding?Nearly every programmatic accreditor in the health professions is grappling with the implications of these new requirements. Each accreditor has its own unique circumstances to consider but the recent changes present an unnecessary set of challenges to all of them. Their decisions may therefore differ. Some agencies, including the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), have already announced their intention to withdraw from federal accreditation, and more are likely to follow. What are the next steps for CCE?CCE is in the midst of the USDE recognition review process and our next report is due in September 2026. As instructed by the Council, staff will now begin the steps to formally notify the USDE of our decision to withdraw from federal recognition and thus terminate the review process. CCE will continue to work with accredited programs to identify and address potential federal or state consequences of this change. We will continue all accreditation reviews, site visits and monitoring activities as scheduled, and we will provide regular updates to programs, students, and other stakeholders. CCE’s commitment to educational quality, public accountability, and continuous improvement remains unchanged. |
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