White House, and Kushner, Dig Into Higher Ed - Andrew Kreighbaum, Inside Higher Ed

As the Department of Education refines the next phase of its higher education agenda, the White House is apparently weighing in on the new policy direction. The special office headed by Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to and the son-in-law of President Trump, held a meeting last week with officials from the department, outside higher ed groups and funders of postsecondary research, with accreditation at the center of discussions. The topic reflects the focus of a new round of rule making recently announced by the department, which wants to rethink the role of accreditors as gatekeepers of federal student aid. Judith Eaton, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, said she could not comment on the White House meetings as her group wasn’t involved in them. But she said it was clear that both Congress and the Department of Education are taking an interest in a comprehensive look at the role of accreditation. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/10/kushner-team-convened-higher-ed-meeting-white-house-focused-accreditation