The Trump administration is threatening institutions with the loss of federal financial aid if they don’t comply with its ideological edicts to crack down on free speech and dictate what can and can’t be taught—all while doing nothing to make college more affordable. 

The proposed rules: 

• Are a direct assault on racial justice and will chill efforts to support Black, Latino, Indigenous, and immigrant communities.
• Give accreditors and the Government authority to suppress free speech and regulate what faculty can teach
• Strip institutions of their independence and autonomy
• Do nothing to make college more affordable

We have to fight back: Submit a public comment naming a specific concern with the proposed rules. They’ve tried to make this process difficult. We’ve made it easier. Use this resource kit and submit your comment today! 

Public comments are a key point of leverage in the fight to protect our higher ed institutions. They create friction, they set the groundwork for future legal action, and shape how the public and members of Congress understand the impact of these attacks. Public comments aren’t the most exciting, but they are a crucial tactic we must use in this fight for the future of higher ed. 

At the bottom of this document, we’ve compiled helpful resources from our partners, which include guides, templates, background information, and more to help you submit your comment.

A substantive comment should be personal to you and discuss the following:

• Who do you represent?
• What specific proposed rule are you commenting on?
• How will you and members of your community be affected?
• What evidence or experience supports your argument?
• Questions that point to the impact of the government’s attacks

Note: These comments are public, so any included personal information will be available online.

Key Resources From our Partners:

• New America
  • A Cheat Sheet to the Trump Accreditation Overhaul
• National Education Association 
  • Sample Letters on Changes to Higher Education Accreditation
• United States Student Association (For students)
  • USSA Accreditation Public Comment Guide 
• Alliance for Higher Education (For faculty, alumni, administrators)
  • Guidance on how to effectively submit public comment 
  • Accreditation Public Comment Template 
• American Association of University Professors
  • AIM Committee Negotiated Rulemaking Statement