Accrediting agencies and college leaders met this week amid growing uncertainty as the Education Department signals regulatory changes and the Trump administration pushes new expectations for accreditors. At CHEA’s annual conference, officials warned that the administration’s focus on outcomes, funding support for new accreditors, and directives to curb DEI standards could politicize the quality‑control layer that gates federal aid. Jon Fansmith of the American Council on Education and other sector leaders said the administration’s moves—an executive order and Department of Education initiatives to speed recognition of new accreditors—could undermine accreditor independence and create fragmentation in oversight. Accreditors are weighing legal and operational responses as stakeholders debate how to preserve accountability while responding to new regulatory priorities.