Higher education negotiators are resisting the Trump administration’s bid to force stronger accreditation standards tied to student success, costs, and academic freedom outcomes. In rule-making discussions around a 151-page proposal under accreditation, innovation, and modernization, negotiators argued that portions of the plan would increase federal oversight and could unlawfully intrude on institutional control over curriculum. Accreditation experts say the most contentious area is proposed monitoring of academic freedom and intellectual inquiry—an approach they argue could circumvent the Higher Education Act’s limits on federal interference with curriculum decisions. College presidents have also been wary of prior proposals that attempted to regulate academic freedom, especially amid campus free-speech controversies. The administration says it wants guardrails to drive student success while avoiding unintended consequences and emphasizes the goal of improving oversight for outcomes. Negotiators’ pushback suggests the accreditation overhaul will likely remain a central flashpoint during finalization of the rule.