Political battles intensify over higher education policies. GOP lawmakers align with Trump administration’s budget cuts affecting Education Department funding with proposed deep reductions to Title I and other student assistance programs, provoking criticism for potential harm to low-income students. Judicial actions restrict or enable funding streams and institutional operations, including Supreme Court overrulings with legal complexity. Controversies around viewpoint diversity and political interference further shape campus climates and governance, highlighting the sector’s vulnerability to broader ideological struggles.