An appeals court on Monday rejected Florida's constitutional challenge to the federal university accreditation system, upholding a 2024 lower‑court dismissal. The case, filed in 2023 by then‑U.S. Senator Ashley Moody on behalf of the DeSantis administration, argued that federal accreditation standards improperly delegate governmental authority. The 11th Circuit found that accreditors make private decisions and that the federal government separately determines eligibility for Title IV funding. The lawsuit stemmed from a long‑standing tension between the state and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges over political influence on public university governance. In 2021 the accreditor warned that then‑Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s dual role on the Board of Governors could conflict with accreditation standards. Florida responded in 2022 by enacting legislation requiring public universities to change accreditors each cycle and to conduct post‑tenure reviews of faculty. Federal officials later contested aspects of the law, leading to Moody’s suit. The decision leaves the accreditation framework unchanged and does not affect Title IV funding eligibility, while the state may pursue further legal options.