Disparate state rules plague online education

A patchwork of state rules for accrediting colleges and universities -- some more lax than others -- remain a roadblock for a national standard that online school officials have lobbied for since the early 1980s. Although some states abide by standards that prove "intrusive" and burdensome to schools seeking accreditation, other states "have little or no regulatory schema, and institutions can operate in an unfettered way," according to a task force report issued by the Presidents' Forum, which has met since 2004 to discuss challenges for decision makers at online postsecondary schools.