WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed the End Woke Higher Education Act, which included the Accreditation for College Excellence (ACE) Act, introduced by Higher Education and Workforce Development Chair Burgess Owens (UT-04). The legislation amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to limit accrediting agencies’ and associations’ ability to link federal funding to an institution’s political or ideological beliefs. Additionally, it seeks to protect colleges’ religious freedoms and constitutional rights while promoting academic freedom. 

“For too long, activist accreditors have used political tests to threaten funding for colleges and universities that do not conform to far-left ideology,” said Rep. Owens. “The result is an environment that mandates DEI and CRT programs, setting students apart based on skin color rather than merit. The End Woke Higher Education Act defends the rights of institutions to pursue their academic missions without fear of losing accreditation. Today’s vote is a victory for academic freedom, the Constitution, and the future of American higher education. Next stop: the Senate.”

Background: 

• Requires accreditors to confirm their standards do not require, encourage, or coerce an institution to support or oppose specific partisan or political beliefs, viewpoints on social or political issues, or support the disparate treatment of any individual or group;
• Prohibits accreditors from assessing an institution’s commitment to any ideology, belief, or viewpoint for the purposes of receiving accreditation for HEA funding;
• Protects a college’s religious mission and ability to require adherence with religious practices or codes of conduct; 
• Ensures that an accreditor cannot require, encourage, or coerce an institution to violate any right protected by the Constitution;
• Limits accreditors from adopting any additional standards for accreditation. 

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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