The Department of Education has stepped up regulatory pressure on accreditation agencies and is reallocating some program responsibilities to other federal agencies via interagency agreements. Two accreditors received warnings to eliminate DEI standards or risk losing recognition, and the department is using interagency transfers to move certain grant and program operations outside its direct control. Officials frame the moves as legal enforcement and administrative realignment; critics say the actions introduce uncertainty about accreditation standards, program oversight and federal support for equity initiatives. Institutions and accreditors now face short timelines to comply or risk recognition and funding disruptions.