College students can only use federal subsidies to pay for their educations if they attend accredited institutions. To stay accredited, higher-education institutions have to participate in accreditation reviews every five to ten years. Colleges have estimated that it costs over $1 million to participate in such a review, largely in the form of administrator and staff time. To learn more about how colleges and other postsecondary institutions get and stay accredited, read “Accreditation, Explained” on EdNext.org.
—Education Next