Trump to sign executive orders targeting higher education reform

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign several executive orders aimed at overhauling higher education in the United States, expanding his administration’s influence over colleges and universities. These moves are part of a broader effort to reshape the landscape of American academia, with a particular focus on accreditation processes, foreign funding transparency, and job training programs.

One of the key executive actions will direct the Secretary of Education to review the accreditation process, which certifies the legitimacy of educational institutions and programs to employers and loan providers, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign press.

The administration has warned that accrediting commissions that fail to meet certain standards may risk losing their authority. According to a senior White House official, the review aims to increase competition and improve the standards of accreditation across the sector, although details of the order were not made public ahead of its signing.

Another significant directive will threaten to cut funding to higher education institutions that fail to disclose foreign funding sources. This measure is part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to increase transparency and address concerns over foreign influence on U.S. campuses. Additionally, a third order will focus on improving job training programs, particularly for skilled trades, to help bridge the gap between education and the workforce.

These executive actions are the latest in a series of initiatives targeting higher education, which have drawn mixed reactions from universities. The Trump administration has also pushed schools to adopt policies aimed at combating anti-Semitism on campuses, with some institutions pushing back, claiming that the proposed conditions would violate constitutional rights and undermine their academic missions.

Harvard University, for example, is currently suing the Trump administration after federal funding for the institution was frozen. Trump has also called for the university to lose its tax-exempt status after it rejected some of the administration’s demands.

The accreditation-related order mandates that the Secretary of Education re-establish recognition of new accrediting agencies to foster competition in the field. It will also require institutions to use program-level student outcome data to enhance educational results, without considering race, ethnicity, or gender. Furthermore, the order will prioritise the inclusion of high-quality, high-value academic programs and encourage intellectual diversity among faculty members.

The mandate also makes it easier for institutions to switch accreditors and for new accrediting bodies to be recognised. This part of the executive order aligns with Trump’s campaign promise to target the university accreditation system, which conservatives have criticised for promoting what they see as liberal ideologies in higher education.

In a campaign video, Trump referred to the current college accreditation system as "our secret weapon" and vowed that, if re-elected, he would "fire the radical Left accreditors" that he claims have allowed colleges to be dominated by "Marxist maniacs and lunatics." He further promised to open up the accreditation process to new agencies that would impose more rigorous standards.

Most universities in the U.S. are accredited by regional bodies, a process that is crucial for certifying the quality of higher education nationwide. 

By Tamilla Hasanova