The U.S. Department of Education cleared a major draft of federal accreditation regulations through the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization negotiated rulemaking process, setting up a framework that would shift accreditors toward measurable student outcomes. Officials said the overhaul is meant to make accreditation a more reliable signal of quality for federal student aid. Under the draft approach, accreditors would be required to focus on indicators such as graduation rates, licensure exam results, post-graduation employment, and measurable economic returns. The package also targets structural conflicts by limiting accreditor relationships with affiliated trade organizations and requiring public disclosure of such ties. The proposal also changes eligibility pathways for accreditors, eliminating the current two-year accreditation activity waiting period before seeking federal recognition. That would allow new accreditors to enter faster, injecting competition into a market long dominated by established organizations. A student-facing provision directly addresses transfer credit and related academic issues, an area that critics say can affect academic freedom and institutional autonomy. The draft drew skepticism from opponents who warned it could increase bureaucracy and expand federal reach into core institutional governance.