It started with a letter about a university president and ended with a federal lawsuit. Honestly, if you aren’t deep in the weeds of Florida politics, you might have missed why Ron DeSantis decided to take a sledgehammer to the way colleges get their "stamp of approval."
We're talking about DeSantis education accreditation reform, a move that basically tells the long-standing gatekeepers of higher education that their "monopoly" is over.
For decades, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) was the only game in town for Florida. If they didn't like what you were doing, your federal funding—billions of dollars in student loans and grants—was on the line. But in 2022, Florida passed SB 7044. It didn't just suggest a change; it mandated that public colleges and universities find a new accreditor every single cycle.
Why Florida is breaking up with its accreditor
You’ve gotta look back at 2021 to see where the friction really sparked. Richard Corcoran, who was the state’s education commissioner at the time, was gunning for the presidency of Florida State University. SACSCOC stepped in and warned that his candidacy might create a conflict of interest. They essentially told FSU: Be careful, or your accreditation might be at risk. Florida leaders saw this as a "woke" regional monopoly overstepping its bounds and interfering with state sovereignty. Governor DeSantis didn't mince words, calling these agencies "unaccountable cartels."
The 2022 Mandate (SB 7044)
This law changed the landscape overnight. Here is the gist of what it does:
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- Mandatory Switching: Public institutions can't stay with the same accreditor for consecutive cycles. They have to shop around.
- Cause of Action: If an accreditor retaliates against a school for these changes, the school can actually sue them.
- Transparency: It forces schools to post syllabi and textbook lists 45 days before classes start. No more "hidden" curriculum.
The 2026 update: A new agency enters the chat
By early 2026, the reform hasn't just stayed on paper. Florida is now leading a group of six Southern states to form their own accreditor: the Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE).
It’s a bold play. They want an agency that focuses on "academic rigor" and "student outcomes" rather than what they call "divisive ideological content." The plan is to have this new body accrediting its first six institutions by June 2026.
But there’s a catch. A big one.
The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) still calls the shots on who is a "recognized" accreditor. Florida sued the Biden administration in 2023, claiming the federal government was "slow-walking" their requests to switch. While a federal judge dismissed that lawsuit in late 2024, the state has been appealing, and the political winds in Washington (especially with a new administration in 2025/2026) have shifted the strategy.
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What most people get wrong about this
People think this is just about "anti-woke" posturing. It’s more bureaucratic than that.
The real struggle is over who gets to define what "quality" looks like in a college degree. Is it how many DEI officers a school has? Or is it how much their graduates earn and whether they can pass a licensing exam? DeSantis is betting on the latter.
Critics, of course, say this is a disaster waiting to happen. They argue that switching accreditors is a nightmare of paperwork and fees—think $10,000+ in extra costs and thousands of man-hours just to change a logo on a certificate. There's also the "prestige" factor. If Florida schools leave SACSCOC, will a degree from the University of Florida still carry the same weight in New York or California?
Legal battles and law schools
It’s not just the big universities. On January 15, 2026, the Florida Supreme Court shook things up for law schools, too.
For a long time, the American Bar Association (ABA) was the only accreditor that mattered for Florida law schools. DeSantis called them "left of the left" and pushed for alternatives. Now, the court has amended its rules, meaning law schools in the state can start looking for other accreditors starting October 1, 2026. Florida is basically following Texas' lead here, trying to dilute the influence of national organizations they view as politically biased.
Actionable insights for students and parents
If you're a student or a parent in Florida right now, you’re probably wondering: Does my degree still count?
1. Watch the accreditation status of your specific school.
Most Florida universities are currently "in-process." This means they are still accredited by SACSCOC while they apply for new ones. There is no immediate threat to your federal financial aid or the validity of your degree.
2. Use the new transparency tools.
Because of the DeSantis education accreditation reform, you can now see every syllabus and textbook list online weeks before you register. Use this to shop for professors and avoid "surprise" course content that doesn't align with your goals.
3. Check transferability.
The state has also revamped the Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). This makes it way easier to move credits from a state college to a university without losing time or money. If an advisor tells you a "core" credit won't transfer within the state system, they might be violating the new law.
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4. Keep an eye on the CPHE.
As this new "Commission for Public Higher Education" ramps up in 2026, look for which schools join the first "cohort." These will be the test cases for whether a state-led accreditor can actually provide the same level of prestige as the old regional giants.
The "accreditation wars" are far from over. It's a massive experiment in whether a state can truly decouple its higher education system from the national "establishment." Whether it results in higher standards or just a massive headache for registrars remains the multi-billion dollar question.
To stay ahead, verify your institution's current standing on the Florida Board of Governors website, which tracks the transition status of every public university in the state.