The Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education are signaling regulatory change: the Education Department announced a negotiated rulemaking committee (AIM) to rewrite accreditation rules, focusing on outcomes, market entry for new accreditors and anti‑discrimination measures. The AIM committee will meet for multi‑day sessions this spring. Separately, the Northwest Commission lifted probation for North Idaho College after a multi‑year compliance remediation. Institutions should prepare for an era of tighter federal scrutiny combined with efforts to streamline recognition of accreditors. Accreditors, provosts and legal teams must engage the rulemaking process and reassess internal metrics, transfer policies and civil‑rights compliance.