Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is leading 20 states urging U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to reject an application from what was once the nation's largest accreditor of for-profit colleges. Healey says the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools allowed schools to cheat students.

In 2016, during the waning days of the Obama administration, ACICS lost the right to accredit schools.

The agency had come under fire for accrediting Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute - for-profit chains that federal officials found lied to students about their graduation rates.

It had accredited a dozen for-profit colleges in Massachusetts, including Corinthian in Brighton, ITT Tech in Norwood and Lincoln Technical Institute in Somerville.

Now, ACICS is applying to regain its status as a national accrediting body and the Trump administration, which has rolled back regulations on for-profit colleges, will consider reinstatement this spring.

Earlier: Nation's Largest College Accreditor Itself Faces Deaccreditation