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Latest Higher Education News
Spending cuts and workforce reductions hit major campuses
Universities across multiple states are trimming budgets for fiscal 2027 as federal and state funding gaps collide with cost pressures, prompting layoffs, vacancy closures, and slowed hiring....
Federal pressure expands on admissions discrimination and DEI compliance
The U.S. Department of Justice expanded enforcement efforts tied to Title VI compliance, launching new civil rights probes into medical school admissions over alleged race discrimination. The...
In-state tuition access for undocumented students collapses in court battles
A federal judge ended Nebraska’s in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students, granting a win to the U.S. Department of Justice in a dispute over educational benefits that states must...
Higher education governance friction escalates as boards seek control over curriculum
Faculty governance and curriculum control are colliding as Auburn University’s board moves to consider proposals that would eliminate the central faculty governance body and expand trustees’...
Student success and access: spring enrollment inches up, graduate and international headwinds persist
Spring enrollment rose modestly—up 1% year over year—while graduate enrollment remained under pressure, according to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data. Undergraduate gains were...
AI skills and workforce expectations sharpen across education-to-work pipelines
Multiple stories point to rapidly increasing demand for AI capability as a hiring baseline, with a knock-on effect for education and workforce training. OpenAI’s CFO said knowledge of AI coding...
New institutional leadership ushers in major presidential transitions
A wave of large university leadership changes is underway, including Emory’s promotion of Christopher L. Augostini to president, Tufts provost Caroline Attardo Genco’s move to become the first...
Admissions discrimination, plus policy friction, continues to strain student access and affordability
Beyond tuition eligibility, new federal and state policy signals continue to reshape student access to higher education. Separate reporting notes U.S. legal disputes that have halted efforts to...
Student climate and campus civics requirements become politicized
Iowa is tightening undergraduate graduation requirements tied to American history and American government courses, with fulfillment options controlled by civics centers. A new law signed by Gov....
Student well-being initiatives are pushed beyond counseling into campuswide design
Higher education well-being efforts are increasingly moving from “counseling only” models toward campuswide student experience design. Reporting highlights NYU’s approach via Voices of Student...
University budget cuts and workforce reductions tied to shrinking government support
The University of Maryland, College Park announced it is laying off 84 employees as it faces budget shortfalls driven by federal and state funding cuts, plus higher energy costs, according to...
Austerity spreads across higher education as universities draft fiscal 2027 cut plans
Universities across the country are preparing fiscal 2027 budgets with a mix of spending cuts, layoffs, and hiring freezes as enrollment trends soften and operating costs climb. Reporting...
Federal enforcement pressures on higher education equity programs
The U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation into Arizona State University over allegations that the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion work violates Title VI. DOJ...
DOJ escalates Title VI investigations into medical school admissions
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it opened 15 new civil rights investigations into medical school admissions practices over potential race discrimination. DOJ said it did not name the...
In-state tuition for undocumented students knocked out in Nebraska
A federal judge ruled that undocumented students in Nebraska can no longer pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges, aligning the decision with an earlier U.S. Department of Justice...
State-level curriculum mandates tied to ideological governance in Iowa
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation requiring incoming undergraduates at the state’s three public universities to complete specific U.S. history and government courses designated by civics...
Faculty governance and curriculum control targeted at Auburn and beyond
Auburn University’s board is set to consider proposals to eliminate the central faculty-governance body and give trustees authority over course decisions, despite an exemption in state law. The...
Student success and affordability pressure: spring enrollment grows, graduate demand softens
Spring enrollment ticked up in 2026, but growth was uneven across institutions and degrees. Final National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data show total spring enrollment at 18.6 million...
Student well-being and campus climate: workplace and learning pressures deepen disconnection
New reporting on Gen Z in the workplace finds the cohort is more disconnected and distrustful of coworkers than older generations, with loneliness showing up in time-off behavior. A Workday report...
AI policy and academic integrity pressures spill into higher education classrooms
A Berkeley law school AI policy prohibiting AI use for drafting, revising, and other credit-bearing writing activities has become a reference point for deans and administrators nationwide, despite...