Higher‑education leaders are reacting to a flurry of policy and budget developments: the U.S. Department of Education issued narrow reporting rules for admissions data, a new $100,000 H‑1B visa fee is pressuring faculty recruitment, and several campuses are announcing program cuts and layoffs. The weekly sector review flagged University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Rider University among institutions pursuing program eliminations or faculty reductions. The Education Department’s notice limits race‑and‑sex admissions reporting to four‑year institutions, exempting some open‑enrollment and two‑year colleges. Meanwhile, the congressional budget deal paused earlier layoff notices at the Education Department through January 2026 and restored some agency stability. University administrators and immigration attorneys told campus leaders to plan for H‑1B impacts and seek exemptions selectively; legal experts urged institutions to make targeted arguments to lawmakers about key hires. The combined policy and fiscal shifts are already reshaping hiring, compliance, and program prioritization at public and private colleges.