A growing movement led by Republican state leaders aims to reshape higher education by rejecting traditional accreditation and replacing it with conservative-led alternatives—reviving deep questions about truth, control, and history in American classrooms.
What We Know:
States like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana are leading a coalition to form a new college accreditation agency, backed by conservative think tanks like the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been at the forefront of reshaping education in his state, argues that traditional accreditors stifle “academic freedom” and enforce “progressive orthodoxy.”
The push follows DeSantis’ clash with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC), which raised concerns about political interference in Florida’s public university system.
Institutions and systems considering this new accreditor include schools in the University of North Carolina system, Louisiana State University, and others with pressure from GOP-dominated legislatures.
The move is tied to broader conservative efforts to curb diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, restrict the teaching of systemic racism and LGBTQ+ topics, and control faculty governance and tenure.
Federal rules require accreditors to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for institutions to receive federal financial aid; the new agency has not yet received that recognition.
Critics warn this is part of a long-standing tradition of resistance to educational progress and uncomfortable truths, with echoes of the post-Reconstruction South where state control over education was used to suppress racial and cultural knowledge.
Opponents say the effort prioritizes political ideology over academic rigor and could jeopardize students’ degrees, funding, and future prospects.
Supporters frame it as reclaiming “parental rights” and “traditional values” in higher education, continuing the broader conservative war on what they call “woke” education.
As GOP-led states draw a new line—quite literally—between red and blue education priorities, this ideological split could reshape not only what students learn, but how America defines truth, freedom, and facts for generations to come.