Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
ED grant priorities shift—AI, accreditation and workforce funding in the crosshairs
The U.S. Department of Education announced new priorities for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), signaling a focus on accreditation reform, artificial intelligence,...
Undergraduate rebound...but the picture is uneven
Preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse show undergraduate enrollment rose about 2.4% this fall, driving an overall 2% increase in postsecondary enrollment and marking a third...
Trump stakes a pragmatic case: U.S. still open to foreign students
President Trump publicly defended maintaining large numbers of international students at U.S. campuses, arguing their tuition underwrites many university budgets and warning against policies that...
H‑1B fee shock: $100,000 levy could reshape campus hiring
A new White House proclamation creating a $100,000 fee on certain H‑1B petitions has jolted research universities that rely on foreign scholars and postdocs. Higher‑education legal experts warn...
UC San Diego flags dramatic remedial math spike — pandemic effects blamed
A UC San Diego Senate–Administration working group report found a near‑30‑fold rise in incoming students placing below middle‑school math levels over five years, with remedial math enrollment...
Justice Dept. opens probe after clashes at Berkeley event
Federal authorities announced an investigation into protests and security breaches at a Turning Point USA event held at UC Berkeley after hundreds of demonstrators confronted attendees. The...
Tribal colleges under pressure as funding and oversight shift
NPR reporting highlights fragile finances and policy headwinds facing tribal colleges and universities, using Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College as an example of institutions that fuse Indigenous...
Campus care: counseling and basic‑needs programs scale amid SNAP chaos
Colleges are expanding embedded counseling and basic‑needs supports as federal safety‑net disruptions and rising student needs collide. Virginia Tech’s model—placing counselors inside residence...
From prompts to agents: campuses lead AI policy and pedagogy talks
Faculty and academic leaders are moving to set classroom norms for AI while the sector braces for the next wave: agentic artificial intelligence. Surveys and campus initiatives show faculty—not...
Education Dept. rulemaking: graduate loan caps set – institutions brace
Lead: The U.S. Department of Education reached consensus in negotiated rulemaking that will implement new federal borrowing limits for graduate and professional students, signaling a major...
Trump defends international students: policy fight lands on campuses
Lead: President Donald Trump reinforced his administration’s mixed stance on foreign students, arguing on national television that limiting international enrollments would imperil U.S. colleges’...
Campus compact rebuff: major public flagship won’t sign White House deal
Lead: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill publicly rejected the federal "Compact for Academic Excellence," saying it would not sign the agreement as written and would be unable to meet...
Federal probe at Berkeley: DOJ opens investigation after Turning Point clash
Lead: The Justice Department announced an investigation into confrontations at a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley, after videos and campus reporting documented...
Faculty pushback at New College of Florida — former professor speaks out
Lead: A former faculty representative at New College of Florida published a critical account of the campus’ conservative overhaul under new leadership, detailing clashes over governance,...
State audit triggers probe at HBCU: Texas Southern faces financial oversight
Lead: Texas state officials ordered a financial investigation of Texas Southern University after an audit found bookkeeping inconsistencies, expired-contract invoices and late financial statements...
Student preparation crisis: UC San Diego reports sharp rise in remedial math
Lead: UC San Diego’s Senate–Administration working group warned that a rising share of incoming first‑year students require remedial math, with 11.8% of the fall 2025 cohort placed into courses...
Faculty labor fights: campus strikes and repayment demands escalate
Lead: Labor tensions surfaced on multiple fronts as academic staff staged strikes in England and adjuncts and online faculty in the U.S. faced retroactive pay recovery notices. At Sheffield Hallam...
Enrollment snapshot: community colleges and certificates lead gains — graduate demand stalls
Lead: Preliminary national data show overall higher education enrollment up about 2% this fall, driven by a 2.4% undergraduate increase and a 4% jump at community colleges; undergraduate...
Faculty shape campus AI rules — institutions prepare for agentic systems
Lead: Colleges report that faculty, not administrators, are leading the development of classroom AI norms as campuses confront generative tools and the next wave of agentic systems. Faculty...
Justice Department opens probe at Berkeley — Turning Point clash draws federal review
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into a confrontation at a Turning Point USA event on the University of California, Berkeley campus, citing security concerns after more than...