Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Campus risk and institutional accountability at Ohio State
Ohio State is facing renewed scrutiny amid a widening set of allegations and questions about institutional influence as higher education grapples with financial pressure and compliance...
AI safety in the biomedical research record
A study led by Columbia University’s nursing professor Maxim Topaz warns that AI-generated errors are increasingly infiltrating biomedical scholarship through fabricated references. Topaz and...
Phone-control policies at scale: what new research finds
New large-scale research examines whether restricting student phone use can improve learning and classroom conditions, with results showing measurable reductions in on-campus phone activity after...
Student mental health and access to historical records
In New York and other states, families are pressing for changes that would allow descendants to access long-deceased relatives’ psychiatric records—where prior access rules often block requests....
Affordability and support coverage: student loan repayment overhaul
Millions of federal student loan borrowers are preparing for an expanded menu of repayment options starting July 1, as major changes to the student loan system take effect under the Trump...
Equity in student employment outcomes for autistic graduates
A new reporting snapshot shows autistic college graduates face steep employment barriers even as college career fairs expand employer connections. At Drexel University, a center offering a...
Online learning and graduate business education demand signals
Interest in the master’s in management (MiM) is accelerating as early-career professionals and employers prioritize applied business skills without waiting for traditional MBA timelines. A report...
Nonprofit fraud enforcement and higher education’s compliance risk
Federal enforcement actions are escalating in nonprofit fraud cases, with the Department of Justice reporting $6.8 billion in False Claims Act settlements and judgments in 2025. The reporting...
Federal student aid rules for short-term programs and workforce-focused Pell expansion
The U.S. Department of Education issued final regulations describing how short-term programs can qualify for the new Workforce Pell program, which was created through federal legislation last...
State-level financial strain at UK universities threatens student support and staffing
UK universities are warning that continued funding pressures could force cuts to hardship support and outreach to disadvantaged students. An anonymous poll of vice-chancellors by Universities UK...
Ohio State crisis expands amid alleged sexual abuse and donor-influence concerns
Ohio State is facing multiple overlapping allegations and scrutiny as the university confronts sexual abuse claims tied to a decades-long pattern alleged within athletics medical operations and...
US student success and career outcomes for autistic graduates
New reporting highlights a mounting employment challenge for autistic college graduates, even after they reach the point of campus career fairs and employer interviews. At Drexel University, a...
Cybersecurity risk in national registers raises data governance and compliance stakes
Lithuanian authorities announced a major data leak involving more than 600,000 entries from national data registers, with the suspected access carried out using credentials of institutions...
AI safety and integrity—fabricated references found in biomedical literature
Researchers audited biomedical literature and found thousands of fabricated references embedded in scientific papers, underscoring a growing integrity risk as AI tools become routine in academic...
Research and funding directions for AI and workforce readiness
A new U.S. Department of Education competition aims to support workforce readiness, AI initiatives, and short-term programs using discretionary funds originally intended for minority-serving...
Right-to-repair policy debate resurfaces—implications for education technology ownership
A renewed policy push for right to repair is tied to how manufacturers restrict software access and prevent independent repairs, with examples spanning consumer electronics to complex systems...
Workplace family benefits policy—Rosewood expands paid parental leave across global operations
Rosewood Hotels introduced a global 16-week paid parental leave policy for all employees, regardless of gender or seniority, and the benefit applies to adoptions as well. The policy rollout is...
Higher education labor and student services pressures—long COVID and workforce cost estimates
A new modeling study estimates that the economic burden of long COVID could exceed $8 billion between 2025 and the end of 2027, with productivity losses accounting for more than 90% of costs. The...
Federal student aid and loan repayment overhaul
Millions of U.S. student loan borrowers will be forced to pick from a new repayment “menu” starting July 1 as the Trump administration implements major changes to the student loan system. The...
U.S. Department of Education expands Workforce Pell pathway and adjusts accreditation and lending definitions
The U.S. Department of Education moved on multiple fronts this week—finalizing rules for how short-term programs can qualify for the Workforce Pell program, negotiating language in negotiated...