Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Faculty revolt at Old Dominion: administration pushes eight‑week online overhaul
Old Dominion University’s push to convert all online undergraduate and master’s courses into an eight‑week asynchronous format has sparked sustained faculty opposition. Senior leaders framed the...
Admit to arrival: admissions staff become navigators as FAFSA simplification boosts Pell
Colleges are reshaping admissions work: offices that once focused primarily on selection now spend more time helping accepted students complete the complex administrative steps required to...
Trump demands $1B from Harvard — White House‑campus standoff escalates
President Donald Trump publicly demanded $1 billion from Harvard University as part of a prolonged dispute that has included federal funding cuts and litigation over allegations of antisemitism....
Campus AI crunch: IT strain meets student demand for AI skills
Colleges face simultaneous infrastructure and curricular challenges as AI becomes central to campus strategies. IT leaders are wrestling with storage, compute and cost constraints — from multiyear...
Governance tug‑of‑war: Heritage guidance and board selection spotlight state oversight
New policy pushes and long‑standing governance blueprints are sharpening debate over who should hold colleges accountable. A Heritage Foundation report advocates for greater state involvement in...
GAO: OCR layoffs cost up to $38M — civil‑rights work stalled
The Government Accountability Office found the Education Department’s reduction in force at the Office for Civil Rights cost up to $38 million and left the office unable to document that the cuts...
DOE drops DEI appeal: Dear Colleague letter no longer enforceable
A coalition of student‑affairs leaders and national associations alerted campuses that the U.S. Department of Education withdrew its appeal of a 2025 court ruling, leaving the Department’s...
Federal grant cuts force HSIs to scramble — programs and research at risk
Colleges designated as Hispanic‑serving institutions reported sudden program cancellations and multimillion‑dollar budget hits after the Trump administration cancelled more than $350 million in...
Audit questions cuts at Duke — faculty point to ample reserves
A faculty‑commissioned audit of Duke University’s finances argues the institution has strong liquidity and large discretionary reserves, calling into question recent staff reductions and program...
State audit finds ‘severe noncompliance’ at Utah State — governance in spotlight
A state audit of Utah State University identified patterns of financial noncompliance, conflicts of interest in contracting, poor oversight of presidential spending and weak board controls. The...
Flagship and less‑selective colleges see major racial enrollment shifts
An analysis finds that many flagship public universities and less selective colleges registered notable increases in Black and Hispanic enrollments after bans on race‑conscious admissions took...
FAFSA simplification lifts Pell eligibility — Fulbright top‑producer list released
Data from the National College Attainment Network shows FAFSA simplification boosted the number of students eligible for maximum Pell Grants by about 1.7 million — a 27% increase — for the 2025‑26...
Community colleges surge — degree apprenticeships aim to power regional workforces
Community colleges are seeing rising enrollment in short‑term credentials, dual enrollment and workforce programs as students prioritize affordability and direct career pathways. Analysts point to...
Students push for AI in curricula — universities lag on course offerings
Surveys show a striking mismatch: MBA and graduate students overwhelmingly want AI, automation and data strategy integrated into core curricula, yet many report programs are not delivering. An...
Admissions offices become enrollment navigators as MBA and international apps slump
Admissions counselors are expanding roles beyond selection to active 'matriculation support'—helping admitted students with financial aid, registration, housing and onboarding—to boost yield amid...
Education Dept. paid sidelined OCR staff $38M — GAO flags mass dismissals
A Government Accountability Office report found the Education Department spent up to $38 million paying Office for Civil Rights employees who were placed on administrative leave during 2025...
FAFSA simplification boosts Pell access — 1.7M more qualify for maximum award
Data analyzed by the National College Attainment Network shows FAFSA simplification has produced a sharp rise in students eligible for the maximum Pell Grant: about 1.7 million more recipients in...
Federal grant cancellations force HSIs to scramble — $350M pulled, programs cut
Hundreds of Hispanic‑serving institutions and other minority‑serving colleges are losing federal program funding after the administration canceled more than $350 million in grants tied to MSI...
Audit finds Duke’s finances strong — faculty question layoffs and buyouts
An independent audit commissioned by Duke’s AAUP chapter found the university in very strong financial condition, citing rising net assets, robust cash flow and large discretionary reserves. The...
State audit finds ‘severe noncompliance’ at Utah State — procurement and travel flagged
A state audit of Utah State University documented patterns of financial noncompliance, citing questionable procurement practices, travel spending, vendor relationships and a renovation project...