The Higher Education Act of 1965 makes clear that, although the U.S. Department of Education (Department) has an important role to play in ensuring that all academically-ready students have the opportunity to attend the colleges of their choice, Congress has prohibited the Department from intervening in the curricular decisions of an institution and attempting to exert control over its faculty, administration, and academic programs. Instead, Congress has assigned the role of overseeing the quality and academic sufficiency of instructional programs to accrediting agencies (accreditors). Accreditors are independent, membership-based organizations that rely on peer review to ensure that member institutions meet certain standards for academic quality and rigor. Over time states and the Department have shifted a number of their responsibilities to accreditors, which has forced accreditors to devote significant resources and attention to oversight of issues outside of their core mission and expertise. Simply put, accreditors are now expected, without Federal funding, to act as agents of the Federal government on a growing list of oversight responsibilities. An examination of the Department's accreditation regulations and processes has begun to determine which are critical to assessing the quality of an institution and its programs and to protecting student and taxpayer investments. This process is ongoing, and the Department is eager to further inform and refine their recommendations through input from key stakeholders and members of the public. The goal is to question why we recognize accreditors the way we do, why they evaluate institutions the way they do, and what alternatives might generate better results and create new efficiencies or cost savings.