Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Harvard to Slash Ph.D. Admissions — Deep cuts to the faculty pipeline
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences told departments it will dramatically reduce Ph.D. admissions over the next two years, with a 75% cut in the sciences and roughly 60% in the arts and...
U. of Illinois Bars Race and Sex Consideration — Faculty union pushes back
The University of Illinois system issued guidance this week instructing its campuses to stop considering race, color, national origin or sex in hiring, tenure, promotion and institutional...
Trump Funding Pressure: How the Administration Tied Grants to Campus Policy
Federal action against universities began with Columbia this year and has grown into a pattern of investigations, funding freezes and negotiated settlements. The Trump administration has paused or...
Education Department Hollowed Out — Layoffs and research cuts imperil oversight
The Education Department’s recent round of layoffs and the deep staffing reductions at the Institute of Education Sciences have left the federal research apparatus severely weakened. The...
Pell Gap Widens — Few ‘equity engine’ colleges, federal cuts hit southern states
A national analysis found only 91 four‑year colleges qualify as “equity engines” — institutions that enroll substantial shares of Pell recipients and graduate them at high rates — exposing stark...
California Transfer Pipeline Falters — Local pilots try to reclaim students
California’s community college-to-four‑year transfer pipeline continues to underdeliver: while 80% of community college students intend to transfer, only 19% reach a CSU campus within four years....
Universities Tighten Unwritten Rules — Academic freedom faces fresh tests
Increasingly, campuses have imposed informal, verbal directives that govern faculty instruction and speech, a trend that critics say creates fear and undermines shared governance. Administrators...
Campus Speech and Safety Clash — Vetting, neutrality and protest policing
Universities are citing security protocols and institutional‑neutrality rules to restrict political speech and event programming, prompting students and organizers to relocate protests off campus....
AI in Higher Ed: Data First, Then Tools — Institutions face a readiness test
Commentary and analysis this week stress that higher education must prioritize data readiness before scaling AI tools. Leaders argue AI offers tutoring, administrative relief and new pedagogies,...
Universities Push Back: Majority Reject Trump’s Funding Compact
A wave of elite universities declined the White House’s proposed "Compact for Academic Excellence," signaling broad institutional resistance to the administration’s conditions for prioritized...
Education Department Hollowed Out — Layoffs Leave Enforcement Gaps
The federal government shutdown and administration staffing decisions have drastically reduced the U.S. Department of Education’s capacity, leaving enforcement of civil-rights and...
H‑1B Clash... Lawsuits and Studies Raise Stakes for Campus Talent
Business groups and legal coalitions have moved to block the administration’s dramatic changes to skilled-worker immigration, arguing policy shifts will harm U.S. employers and higher education’s...
MBA Demand Shifts — Asia Climbs, Darden Admissions Chief Steps Back
Global MBA application patterns are shifting: GMAC’s 2025 survey shows robust overall growth but a reallocation of demand away from traditional Anglophone hubs toward Asia and continental Europe....
E‑Rate tweak ends hot‑spot lending — Rural libraries left scrambling
A recent change to E‑Rate funding has removed a reimbursement pathway that supported Wi‑Fi hotspot lending by libraries and schools, prompting immediate program cancellations and local turmoil....
England to Let Tuition Rise With Inflation — Quality Gates Attached
The UK government announced that universities in England will be permitted to raise tuition annually with inflation from 2026, but only if they meet new quality thresholds set by the Office for...
Texas Targets Professors — Moms for Liberty Urges Legal Offensive
Political pressure on campuses intensified as Texas officials and conservative parent groups escalated campaigns against faculty and curriculum. Gov. Greg Abbott publicly criticized professors he...
Harvard Posts First Deficit in a Decade — UC Sounds Alarm on Federal Cuts
Harvard reported a $113 million operating deficit for FY2025 even as its endowment rose to $56.9 billion, a result university officials attributed to slowed revenue growth and rising expenses....
Student Debt Door Reopens — Forgiveness Restored as Degree Earnings Diverge
The Department of Education agreed to resume processing loan cancellations under two long‑standing income‑driven repayment plans after a settlement with the American Federation of Teachers,...
Data First, AI Second... EDUCAUSE Spotlights Readiness Gaps
Higher‑education IT leaders are being urged to prioritise data readiness before deploying predictive or generative AI tools, industry analysts and EDUCAUSE programming emphasize. A sector guide...
California signs direct-admissions law — CSU to auto-notify qualifying seniors
California enacted a direct-admissions law that will automatically notify qualifying high‑school seniors of acceptance to a California State University campus beginning with the fall 2027 term....