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Latest Higher Education News
Pell Grant shortfall: $6B–$11B annual gap warns watchdog
The Pell Grant program faces a structural funding gap that could run $6 billion to $11 billion a year over the next decade, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warned. The CRFB analysis...
FAFSA earnings warning: Department adds low‑outcomes flag to student aid process
The Department of Education rolled out an earnings indicator on the FAFSA that flags institutions where median graduate earnings lag those of typical high‑school graduates. First-year...
Martin University pauses operations: Predominantly Black college cites fiscal collapse
Martin University announced it will “pause operations” at the end of the semester, citing dwindling enrollment, mounting financial strain and an absence of an endowment. Trustees said they are...
Program triage in Wisconsin: New metric could accelerate cuts
The Universities of Wisconsin system is adopting a new enrollment-based trigger to flag undergraduate programs for review — programs averaging 15 or fewer juniors and seniors over three years — a...
Arbitrator orders reinstatement — university resists: Portland State stalemate
An independent arbitrator ordered Portland State University to reinstate 10 nontenure‑track faculty who were laid off in June, saying the university violated the collective‑bargaining agreement...
Justice Department rule shift: Disparate‑impact investigations rescinded
The Justice Department announced it will no longer enforce disparate‑impact liability under Title VI, removing a decades‑old tool that allowed complaints based on statistical disparities rather...
Education Department reassigns OCR staff to tackle backlog
The Education Department ordered staff who had been targeted in earlier reduction‑in‑force actions to return to work at the Office for Civil Rights to address a swelling complaint backlog...
Gainful‑employment and value‑transparency rules: Federal clampdown reshapes career programs
New federal gainful‑employment and financial value transparency rules are forcing career education programs — particularly at proprietary institutions — to justify that credentials raise...
AI agents on campus: Universities pilot autonomous assistants for student services
Colleges are experimenting with agentic AI systems that autonomously perform administrative and student‑service tasks — from major changes and advising triage to supply‑chain coordination —...
Student homelessness: College safe‑parking programs scale as campus safety net
Long Beach City College’s Safe Parking Program — which permits students to sleep in a designated lot overnight and access showers and restroom facilities — illustrates a growing campus response to...
FAFSA adds earnings warning: 1,300 colleges flagged
The Education Department has added an earnings indicator to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that flags institutions whose graduates earn less than typical high‑school completers. The...
Justice Department curbs disparate‑impact probes – Title VI retooled
The Justice Department announced it will stop investigating claims based on disparate‑impact theory under Title VI, removing a decades‑old tool that allowed plaintiffs to challenge race‑ or...
Education Department reactivates OCR staff…amid legal fights and backlog
The Education Department has ordered previously laid‑off Office for Civil Rights staff back to work to address a swelling complaint backlog, even as the department continues to pursue litigation...
Arbitrator orders reinstatement – Portland State refuses, union vows appeal
An independent arbitrator found Portland State University violated its collective‑bargaining agreement and ordered the reinstatement and back pay for 10 nontenure‑track faculty laid off in June....
Colleges gird for more cuts – Yale warns layoffs; Martin U. pauses operations
Multiple institutions signaled deeper belt‑tightening as colleges face enrollment declines and policy uncertainty. Yale’s leadership warned that new endowment taxes may force additional budget...
Gainful‑employment rules bite – OBBBA implementation races institutions
Two federal rule changes—the new gainful‑employment (GE) and financial value transparency (FVT) policies—are forcing colleges to prove that programs deliver economic returns above high‑school...
Pell shortfall and default cliff: watchdogs warn of funding squeeze
A nonpartisan budget watchdog warns the Pell Grant program will face a decade‑long shortfall—an estimated $61 billion over 10 years—even after a $10.5 billion one‑time appropriation. The expansion...
Classrooms under scrutiny: banned‑words guidance and viewpoint leaves
A pair of incidents underscore growing tensions over classroom speech and state compliance rules. Weber State University distributed a list of “prohibited words” to outside speakers amid state law...
AI agents and campus tools… universities pilot autonomous support for students
Colleges are piloting agentic AI that automates student services and learning supports. Campus experiments range from autonomous agents that manage administrative workflows to a student‑built tool...
Universities rush to India: UNSW opens Bengaluru branch, TNE‑research ties expand
UNSW Sydney announced plans for a Bengaluru branch campus to offer five degrees and scale to 10,000 students over a decade in partnership with Indian edtech firm Eruditis. The move positions UNSW...