President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 23, 2025 to change the certification process for higher education. It requires recognized institutions to take root in “discriminatory ideology” and to revoke diversity, equity and inclusion programs on university campuses.
The conversation asked Jimmy Aguilar, who studied higher education at USC, to explain what certification is, why it matters and how the Trump order seeks to change it.
What is certification and how does it work?
Certification is a process of evaluating the college’s compliance with standards of academic rigor, institutional integrity and financial stability.
In the United States, there are 88 accreditation agencies during the 2022-23 academic year.
These institutions are formally recognized by the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Commission.
Certification is not a one-time seal approved, but a continuous process.
In essence, certification is the guarantee of the quality of higher education.
The process involves self-assessment and peer review visits.
Universities usually conduct a full review every five to ten years, depending on the accreditation agency.
Institutions must meet the standards of courses, faculty, student services and outcomes and provide documentation.
The document was then reviewed by a federally accredited certification body.
A team of peer reviewers from other universities usually conducts campus visits and assessments before awarding or reviewing certifications.
Why do you need to accredited universities?
Certification ensures that students, employers and the public meet basic academic standards.
It also expresses credibility and receives federal financial support.
Without it, universities would not be able to obtain major sources of funding, such as Pell grants and federal student loans.
Funding is crucial to university budgets and students’ access to higher education.
Professional licensing in areas such as teaching, nursing, medicine and law also requires certification.
It also helps ensure that students can transfer credits between institutions.
What does Trump's executive order do?
The executive order will reshape the university certification system to align it with government political priorities. These priorities include rollbacks for DEI plans.
The order attempts to use federal supervision to weaken agency policies and priorities. It also promotes new standards that align with government interpretations of “performance-based” education.
The Executive Order also directs the Ministry of Education to punish institutions that require universities to implement DEI-related standards.
The Trump administration claims that this standard equals "illegal discrimination."
Penalties may include increased supervision or loss of federal approval. This will make the certification seal meaningless according to the executive order.
The order also proposes extensive reforms to the certification process, including:
Promote "intellectual diversity" in teacher recruitment. The Executive Order believes that promoting a broader perspective among teachers will enhance academic freedom. Critics often interpret this language as adding conservative ideological representation.
Simplify the process of institutions switching authorized persons. During Trump's first semester, his administration eliminated geographical restrictions, making colleges more flexible in choosing. The new executive order goes further. This makes it easier for schools to leave agencies they disagree with.
Expand awareness of new certification bodies to increase competition.
Link certification more directly to student achievement. This will shift to metrics such as graduation rates and income, rather than commitment to diversity or equity.
The executive order will select law school accreditors for law schools (such as the American Bar Association) and medical schools (such as the Medical Education Board).
The order accuses them of implementing the DEI standard, which conflicts with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that prohibits affirmative action in college admissions.
However, the ruling is limited to racially conscious admissions. It does not directly address teacher recruitment or certification standards.
This raises questions about whether the order’s interpretation is beyond the scope of the court’s ruling.
Nevertheless, the ruling remains a point of contention in the debate on diversity, equity and inclusion.
The American Association of University Professors and the Lawyer Lawyer Committee condemned the executive order.
These organizations believe it has the potential to politicize certification and curb efforts to promote equity and inclusion.
However, the order represents a federal push to influence higher education governance.