Accreditation, long a technical compliance process, has become a political battleground. Six southern public university systems announced a new regional accreditor this year, and that effort has drawn widespread attention as accreditors face new federal constraints after an April executive order barring diversity mandates. In parallel, the Commission for Public Higher Education has received letters of intent from 10 institutions seeking recognition and federal approval. The twin developments reflect state-led initiatives to reshape oversight, and they raise immediate questions for financial aid eligibility, institutional accountability and how quickly institutions can switch accreditors amid heightened scrutiny from the Department of Education.