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Career‑training providers press Education Department on earnings metrics, accreditation rules

U.S. Department of Education · November 13, 2025

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Summary

Career‑training schools and accreditors told the Department of Education that proposed earnings metrics and recent guidance threaten program eligibility for low‑wage occupations; they urged revisions to metric design, regional comparisons and rescission of a Dec. 5, 2023 guidance letter affecting recognition practices.

Representatives of career‑training institutions and accreditors warned that the department’s draft accountability measures could disproportionately exclude programs with low median wages or tip‑based incomes.

Brian Huff, CEO of Midwest Technical Institute, said the bill’s earnings provision and premium‑earnings test will “all but eliminate cosmetology programs” because median wages in some fields are low and often tip‑based. He recommended that metrics be calculated at the state level and broken out by urban/rural zones, and that the department adopt a zone or range rather than a strict pass/fail cutoff to avoid sudden program eliminations.

Karen Marzynski of the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) asked the department to revise several sections of 34 CFR (as cited in testimony) to allow flexibility in board member designations and limit certain requirements to single‑purpose accreditors. She also urged rescinding a departmental guidance letter dated Dec. 5, 2023 that she said exceeds statutory authority and creates unnecessary burdens.

Why this matters: Earnings metrics and accreditation definitions determine which short‑term and career programs qualify for federal aid. Changes to metrics or guidance could remove access for students in lower‑paid occupations unless guardrails are added.

What happens next: Witnesses requested clear technical specifications for earnings measures, state‑level calculations, and transitional zones; the department will collect written comments as it proceeds into negotiated rulemaking.