The Education Department is moving forward with a new earnings test for undergraduate certificates as part of broader regulatory shifts that include grants aimed at encouraging colleges to switch accreditors. One panel signed off on the earnings test after debate, signaling a regulatory push to link program eligibility and consumer protections to labor‑market outcomes. Separate grant awards are steering millions to organizations and institutions that can demonstrate willingness to change accreditors — a policy mix that could reshape accreditation markets and financial aid access. Institutions weighing a change in accreditor or certificate programming now face uncertain oversight standards and closer federal scrutiny of graduate and workforce credentials.