The Department of Education and the White House have pushed two parallel changes that could reshape college oversight. An ED advisory panel signed off on a new earnings test for program accountability, narrowing criteria that accreditors and institutions must meet, while a separate Trump-era grant program is funding colleges and organizations to switch accreditors. Both moves accelerate federal pressure on institutional performance and could force program closures or large-scale administrative shifts. The earnings-test vote—approved by a panel where one member abstained—finalizes metrics tied to graduate outcomes and could alter how undergraduate certificate programs qualify for federal aid. The administration’s grant awards include dollars to established accreditors and, controversially, to recipients with little prior accreditation experience, raising questions about oversight and capacity. Colleges facing weak earnings signals may be forced to restructure academic offerings or seek new accrediting bodies; institutions that switch accreditors often face review delays, financial costs, and reputational risk. Universities and accreditors are already weighing legal and operational responses as the Education Department signals tighter enforcement and novel funding levers.