The U.S. Department of Education is moving toward 2026 negotiated rulemaking under its Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) committee, targeting how accreditation will be recognized and how agencies are expected to evaluate institutions. Proposed sessions run April 13–17 and May 18–22, with draft regulations expected after the negotiations and final rules due by Nov. 1, 2026; new rules are set to take effect July 1, 2027. The draft focus areas include accreditation recognition processes, affordability and cost, and student outcomes and accountability measures. The changes also aim to address the role of third-party organizations and trade associations, raising questions for campus leaders about what evidence institutions will have to produce to demonstrate quality and how much flexibility institutions retain. Education’s approach matters for campuses because accreditation affects eligibility for federal student aid and how student success is measured across programs. Institutions that want to preserve mission flexibility may need to prepare for new compliance expectations well before any rules become effective. Separately, the Education Department released draft regulations intended to overhaul accreditation practices, including easing pathways for new accreditors and requiring standards that include “intellectual diversity” among faculty. The draft is aligned with prior federal actions against accreditors’ DEI-related standards and signals further changes coming through the negotiated rulemaking process.