Critics have stated that the present system of accreditation stifles innovation. Because of this, a proposal has been made by the United States Office of Education to develop its own standards for deciding which colleges and universities should receive federal funds. Therefore, institutions of higher education would be subjected to both nongovernmental accreditation and a federal system of eligibility determination. In dealing with this problem, the organization of the present system of accreditation was discussed emphasizing the need for a unified, national system of accrediting all higher education institutions, proprietary and specialized. An example of the recognition of this need was the report of the merger between the National Commission on Accrediting and the Federation of Regional Accrediting Commissions of Higher Education. A merger of this type then called for a look at the standards and criteria used in accreditation. The role of the total educational community was stressed because of the increasing involvement of state legislatures. The pressures on the organization of accreditation by the federal and state governments and collective bargaining groups left the colleges and universities in the middle. Nongovernmental accreditation can survive only through the unity of the accrediting community. (BRB)