A new federal compliance push is reshaping the risk landscape for colleges and universities as the U.S. government moves to tether program funding to adherence with administration priorities tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion restrictions. In a week of reporting, the U.S. General Services Administration circulated a proposal requiring federal funding recipients to certify compliance with Trump administration executive orders and guidance. The practical consequence is immediate: institutions that do not “fall in line” could face funding losses and legal exposure that many campuses do not have the resources to absorb. Higher ed leaders and policy analysts described the certification requirement as a high-stakes mechanism for enforcement that goes beyond standard grant compliance. Separately, the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office is simultaneously expanding capacity after prior staffing cuts. Internal materials reviewed in reporting indicate a hiring push of 334 full-time employees by 2027, underscoring that the federal government is both tightening compliance demands and investing in program administration. For enrollment and student-aid operations, the combined signal is that audits, reporting expectations, and oversight intensity may increase even as institutions already contend with enrollment volatility and rising costs.