The Trump administration’s accreditation overhaul is turning toward specialized program accreditors, with Education Department officials arguing that some standards set by professional and trade associations may inflate requirements and costs without clear quality improvements. In negotiated rulemaking discussions, the Department highlighted changes aimed at accreditors overseeing specific fields such as engineering, health care, and veterinary medicine. Education officials said programmatic accreditors are not only quality gatekeepers but can also drive degree requirements for practice-oriented coursework. For colleges, the potential shift raises compliance and budgeting questions: program accreditation standards can affect staffing qualifications, curriculum design, equipment needs, and the pricing students ultimately face through the cost of compliance.