A new DeSantis‑backed accrediting body aimed at providing an alternative to regional accreditors is preparing to announce pilot universities even as national panels delay routine oversight meetings. The Commission for Public Higher Education—backed by a coalition of six university systems in Republican‑led states—is recruiting initial institutions to test its standards and processes over a two‑year pilot. Critics and sector observers question whether a politically aligned accreditor can secure credibility with federal agencies and peer institutions. The timing complicates matters: the Education Department’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) has postponed its meeting again, pushing deliberations into December and delaying formal advice on federal recognition and process issues. If the new commission proceeds, schools that pilot its standards will operate in a politically charged environment where federal recognition, student‑aid access and interstate credit transferability will be closely scrutinized.