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Treasury to collect defaults — first step in $1.7 trillion loan shift
The U.S. Treasury will assume operational responsibility for collecting defaulted federal student loans as part of a phased transfer from the Education Department, officials announced this week....
Academics urge Ed. Dept.: don’t gut Grad PLUS loans
Hundreds of colleges, thousands of faculty and tens of thousands of public comments urged the Department of Education to reconsider proposed rules that would sharply limit graduate student access...
Colleges press Congress — fill multi‑billion Pell shortfall now
More than 60 higher‑education organizations sent a joint letter to congressional leaders this week urging immediate action to fill a looming multi‑billion‑dollar gap in Pell Grant funding for...
Ed. Dept. flags accreditors — DEI standards under threat
The Education Department’s under secretary sent formal warnings to two accreditors directing them to formally eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) standards the department contends...
Chávez allegations prompt campus reckonings — renamings spread
Colleges and K‑12 districts across the country moved quickly to review and remove public honors for César Chávez after a major investigation alleged sexual abuse by the labor leader. Multiple...
Campus politics flare — pride flags removed, GOP groups sue
Campus political and free‑speech disputes intensified this week as faculty at one university protested removal of pride flags from building windows while at another public university a College...
Index shows sharp drop in U.S. university autonomy — experts alarmed
A new index reported an “unusually steep” decline in the institutional autonomy of U.S. universities since 2015, downgrading the country’s rating to only 'moderate.' The research cited a roughly...
AI arms race hits campus security — IT leaders push risk frameworks
Colleges and universities are confronting an acceleration of AI‑enabled cyber threats even as they deploy AI for detection and response. Campus IT officials reported a rise in AI‑generated...
Students lean on socials for AI help — business schools push curriculum shift
Surveys and campus reports show more students are turning to social media platforms for quick answers and AI assistance, raising concerns about accuracy, academic integrity and digital literacy....
Education Dept. proposes easier merger pathways — colleges seek lifelines
The Education Department proposed rule changes intended to ease regulatory barriers to college mergers and strategic partnerships, responding to growing financial stress across small and mid‑sized...
Education Dept. hands loans to Treasury: $1.7T shift begins
The Education Department announced a phased transfer of its roughly $1.7 trillion federal student‑loan portfolio to the U.S. Treasury, beginning with operational responsibility for defaulted...
César Chavez revelations... campuses face renaming scramble
Colleges and K‑12 districts opened rapid reviews of buildings, programs and holidays bearing César Chávez’s name after a New York Times investigation alleged sexual abuse by the labor leader....
Grad PLUS rollback sparks flood of pleas — institutions warn of enrollment hit
Hundreds of colleges and thousands of faculty and staff submitted formal comments urging the Education Department to soften its interpretation of a law that will curtail Grad PLUS federal loans...
Coalitions press Congress: fix Pell funding gap now
More than 60 higher education organizations sent a letter to congressional leaders warning of a multi‑billion dollar shortfall in the Pell Grant program for fiscal 2026 and subsequent years. The...
Accreditation clash: ED warns accreditors on DEI — experts push back
The Education Department’s top higher education official sent formal warnings to two accreditors, directing them to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion standards the department says could...
Campus antisemitism inquiry: federal scrutiny rises
Federal and congressional scrutiny of campus antisemitism intensified as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission circulated a questionnaire to Cornell employees about potential civil‑rights...
MBAs need an AI‑native curriculum, not bolt‑on classes
A Booth MBA student argued that business schools should stop treating AI as an elective and instead redesign core curricula to be AI‑native, embedding tools like ChatGPT, Claude and...
Applying AI risk frameworks in higher ed — IT leaders on the front line
Campus IT leaders are increasingly adopting formal AI risk frameworks as institutions accelerate adoption of generative models and agentic systems. Chief information officers warned that while AI...
Candidate's 'consolidate' remark ignites debate — transfers climb
A gubernatorial candidate’s comment that Ohio may have 'too many' public universities reignited national debate about excess campus capacity, closures and consolidation — even as transfer...
Financial strain forces program reviews and layoffs at small colleges
Small and private colleges are moving to staff reductions and program reviews to close mounting budget gaps. The University of Providence declared financial exigency and is weighing program...