Higher education groups are urging the General Services Administration to rescind a proposed federal certification change that would require colleges and other recipients to attest compliance with constitutional and civil-rights directives tied to the Trump administration’s anti-DEI approach. Under the proposal, institutions would certify alignment with “relevant executive orders” through the System for Award Management process used to access federal funding. Higher ed organizations argue the certification goes beyond existing legal compliance requirements by effectively turning non-binding DOJ guidance into mandatory conditions for funding. They also point to ongoing litigation involving the underlying directives. The immediate operational risk for universities is administrative: campuses would need to adjust compliance processes and documentation to satisfy certification language that could conflict with standard institutional practices. The broader effect is governance uncertainty during a period when accreditation and federal student aid oversight are already in flux.