The Education Department has appointed five new members to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, the federal advisory group that influences accreditation review and rulemaking. The new slate includes outspoken conservative voices, according to reporting, signaling a shift in the committee’s composition. Accreditation advisers consult on recognition of accrediting agencies and institutional quality standards that affect federal student aid eligibility. Observers warned that more politically aligned advisers could accelerate policy changes tied to the administration’s broader bid to shrink or reshape the department. Colleges and accreditors will be watching committee deliberations closely; any change in accreditation guidance could ripple across compliance practices, audit priorities, and institutional risk assessments.