The U.S. Department of Education awarded $14.5 million to 15 projects aimed at reworking accreditation and expanding the number of recognized accreditors, a move tied to a 2025 executive order on accreditation reform. Grant recipients will pilot alternative oversight models, and officials say the effort could reshape postsecondary quality assurance that has long rested with regional accreditors. The funding will seed up to ten new accrediting entities with different operational models, sparking debate among university leaders and accreditors about federal influence, institutional autonomy, and the future of quality metrics for colleges and universities.