The Education Department extended its timeline for reviewing and recognizing new accrediting organizations while the General Services Administration proposed sweeping new certification requirements for federal funding recipients. Department officials said the longer review window will allow more stakeholder input as recognition standards evolve. Separately, the GSA proposal would force entities that receive federal contracts or grants to certify they do not run programs the administration labels as “DEI” — a move that would sweep in colleges, K‑12 districts and contractors. The proposal cites broad prohibitions on race‑aligned scholarships, diversity training and some hiring practices and estimates it would affect more than 222,000 entities. Legal challenges and prior court rulings that blocked similar Education Department actions last year suggest both measures will face litigation and political pushback. Clarification: “Accreditor recognition” is the federal process that approves private accrediting agencies to determine which colleges are eligible for federal student aid and other benefits.