The U.S. Department of Education has released draft regulations that would reshape how accreditors review institutions—and how the federal government reviews accreditors—under a negotiated rulemaking process starting April 13-17. The proposal follows an executive order focused on student achievement, easing pathways for new accreditors and removing DEI-related requirements from accreditation. Among the most consequential provisions are proposals that would require institutions to presume transferability of credits toward general-education requirements (not only electives) and would require accrediting bodies to set minimum student-achievement standards tied to measures including return on investment. The drafts also call for accreditors to monitor compliance with civil rights laws such as Title IX, potentially expanding the scope of accreditor responsibility. Accreditation stakeholders are also watching how the drafts balance oversight responsibilities across federal and state regulators and accreditors, especially where institutional missions and student populations differ. The negotiators will weigh concerns about enforceability, implementation burden, and how “student achievement” should be defined across diverse colleges and universities. Separately, the same regulatory packet includes proposed rules to implement changes to the Pell Grant program related to the Workforce Pell Grants expansion under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will likely affect how institutions recruit and design programs for nontraditional and career-focused learners.