Dive Brief:

• Attorneys General from six states and the District of Columbia have filed a motion against the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), which is suing the federal government for terminating its authorization as an oversight body within its student financial aid lending program.
• The AGs argue that the organization has played a major role in defrauding millions of students out of valuable postgraduate credentials while reaping millions in student tuition revenues over decades. 
• ACICS officials accuse the department of an unfair review process, despite the accrediting body's efforts to overhaul leadership and review standards. 

Dive Insight:

Seemingly, the best strategy for for-profit leaders is to stay the course of survival, as most experts believe that the Trump administration will be more favorable to for-profits than the previous one. Nonprofit college leaders will have to carefully monitor how this case will unfold because a return of for-profit strength could mean a reduction in the number of adult learners and traditional students seeking online degrees at traditional institutions. 

Aggressive development and marketing of online programs and their regional value is one step towards fending off a potential surge in for-profit institutions. Additionally, working with companies to offer specific degree programs to employees in large industries is another element of student pipeline development that can attract a diverse pool of applicants, entrants and revenue.