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Latest Higher Education News

FEMA leadership reshuffle signals potential policy reversal

May 13, 2026

President Donald Trump nominated former Navy SEAL Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, marking a notable comeback after he was fired from FEMA’s temporary leadership...

Instructure breach and AI-era security threats raise institutional tech governance questions

May 13, 2026

Campus technology leaders are increasingly questioning whether AI spending is delivering measurable value while simultaneously heightening cybersecurity concerns. A 2026 survey of CTOs found...

University financial distress and layoffs deepen across sectors

May 13, 2026

University of Nottingham leadership warned the institution could run out of money by 2031 and told 2,700 staff to prepare for potential redundancies as further financial cuts begin. The action...

Budget crunch drives CSU cuts despite enrollment stability

May 13, 2026

Colorado State University’s system board approved a fiscal 2027 budget that trims spending across both its Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses, using layoffs and position eliminations to close...

Pell gains after FAFSA simplification—access improves but funding gap remains

May 13, 2026

A new Government Accountability Office report says the FAFSA Simplification Act has met key goals, including expanding Pell Grant eligibility and increasing the share of students receiving the...

Open education activity expands globally after a large-scale OEWeek

May 13, 2026

Open Education Week 2026 concluded with a global calendar of 273 events spanning online, in-person, and hybrid programming across multiple time zones and languages. The organizers reported 146...

International studies campus deal expands graduate offerings at Soka

May 13, 2026

Soka University of America entered exclusive negotiations to acquire Middlebury College’s graduate international studies campus in California and selected master’s programs tied to the Middlebury...

Campus financial distress and workforce reductions

May 12, 2026

University leaders are moving to cut costs as multiple institutions warn that budgets are deteriorating fast enough to threaten program continuity. The University of Nottingham told 2,700 staff...

State scholarship funding shortfalls complicate institutional cash flow

May 12, 2026

A South Carolina Commission on Higher Education funding estimate has fallen short by roughly $25 million, setting up payment delays to colleges and complicating state budget...

Institutional insolvency risk and sector-wide student protection concerns

May 12, 2026

UK lawmakers pressed for a clearer emergency framework for institutions facing insolvency after a parliamentary committee warned that students could be left stranded without a defined...

Cybersecurity failure ripples through education SaaS during finals

May 12, 2026

Instructure’s Canvas breach has become a high-stakes test of education-sector cybersecurity resilience, with ransomware-linked extortion and operational disruption reported across thousands of...

Higher education credit eligibility gains after FAFSA simplification

May 12, 2026

A Government Accountability Office report says the FAFSA Simplification Act is meeting its core access goals, including expanding Pell eligibility and the share of students receiving the maximum...

Board-backed cuts and restructuring at a public university system

May 12, 2026

Colorado State University’s system board approved a fiscal 2027 plan that trims tens of millions in spending and forces campuses into targeted cuts amid flat state higher education funding and...

Admissions transparency requirements move into enforcement

May 12, 2026

US institutions are preparing for additional transparency reporting in selective admissions as federal requirements intensify scrutiny of how colleges make decisions. Reporting highlights the...

Global demand shifts in higher education with rising international student uncertainty

May 12, 2026

New research points to changing international student destination preferences, suggesting non-Anglo study options are moving into the “consideration set” as affordability and post-study...

International program acquisitions and campus reconfiguration for graduate studies

May 12, 2026

Soka University of America began exclusive negotiations to acquire the Middlebury Institute of International Studies’ graduate campus in California, aiming to expand graduate programs and maintain...

AI deployment in schools raises cybersecurity, integrity, and reliability questions

May 12, 2026

Campus and system technology leaders are increasingly skeptical that AI spending will deliver measurable returns, even as reliance on AI continues to grow. A 2026 survey of campus chief...

Canvas breach spreads into end-of-term disruption amid extortion risk

May 12, 2026

Instructure reported it paid a ransom after hackers stole personal data tied to Canvas, the learning-management system used by thousands of colleges and universities. While Instructure said the...

FSAs and Pell access: FAFSA simplification delivers eligibility gains, but funding cliff looms

May 12, 2026

A new Government Accountability Office report found the FAFSA Simplification Act met its intended goals, including a rise in Pell eligibility and a larger share of recipients receiving the maximum...

Targeted federal cuts threaten tribal colleges as Interior proposes deep reductions

May 12, 2026

North Dakota tribal colleges are warning that proposed federal funding cuts would be a “death knell” for their institutions. In the fiscal year 2027 request, the Department of the Interior...