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Discrimination enforcement changes reshape federal civil-rights oversight in higher education
The U.S. Department of Education eliminated longstanding disparate-impact liability rules, removing a key enforcement pathway used to challenge discriminatory effects of policies even without...
Federal funding strategy shifts research toward individuals and away from institutions
The Trump administration outlined plans to steer more federal research funding toward individual scientists and students rather than academic institutions, alongside experimenting with alternative...
Accreditation recognition volatility threatens federal-aid eligibility
Three programmatic accreditors withdrew from federal recognition, setting up new compliance risk for programs that rely on federal student aid eligibility tied to recognized accrediting bodies....
Student aid litigation continues as courts reject delays on borrower-defense decisions
A federal appeals court rejected the Education Department’s request to delay borrower-defense decisions for tens of thousands of applicants, maintaining the pace of relief obligations under a 2022...
Enrollment compliance and access rules tighten in Florida and beyond
Florida’s State Board of Education approved new rules requiring public colleges to verify that incoming students are U.S. citizens or lawfully present before enrollment, extending requirements to...
Community colleges navigate state performance funding cuts amid student-outcome gains in Texas
Texas community colleges that outperformed state graduation outcomes are facing smaller performance bonuses after lawmakers adjusted the funding formula. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board...
Anti-antisemitism enforcement: Penn case de-escalates, universities pursue settlements and compliance protections
The Trump administration withdrew an EEOC subpoena seeking names and contact information of Jewish employees at the University of Pennsylvania, after a resolution agreement in federal court. The...
Academic finance faces political pressure and governance leverage concerns
The American Association of University Professors warned that a growing pattern of political and donor pressure is using federal financial leverage to demand changes to university governance,...
Student success governance through community-focused learning spaces in community colleges
A report focused on reimagining community college libraries as integrated student success hubs, linking academic support with basic needs, technology access, advising, writing assistance, and...
NACUBO and campus business officers brace for policy-driven budget volatility
Higher education finance leaders at NACUBO’s annual conference described a “more defensive posture” as colleges absorb rapid policy change and uncertainty around federal student lending rules....
Immigration enforcement hits university student
Texas Christian University student Luis Andrade Garcia was deported to El Salvador this week after an Arlington, Texas traffic stop triggered an ICE custody process, according to reports cited by...
Federal civil-rights enforcement shifts on disparate impact
The U.S. Department of Education eliminated a long-used civil-rights enforcement tool tied to disparate-impact liability, ending a regulatory pathway used to show unintentional discrimination in...
Equity assistance centers scramble to stay funded
Federal equity assistance centers—nonprofits funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support civil-rights enforcement and student access—are navigating grant disruptions and proposed budget...
Higher-education Title IX definition legislation advances
A Republican-led House Education and Workforce Committee advanced legislation that would codify “sex” as biological sex under Title IX, seeking to align policy with the Supreme Court’s recent...
Student legal relief: borrower defense decision timeline challenged in court
A federal appeals court rejected the U.S. Department of Education’s bid to delay decisions in borrower-defense-to-repayment cases, leaving the agency on the hook for relief under a 2022...
State compliance requirements tighten admissions in Florida
Florida’s State Board of Education approved new enrollment rules requiring the state’s public colleges to verify that incoming students are U.S. citizens or lawfully present before enrollment. The...
Accreditation renewal: USF business school clears AACSB review
The University of San Francisco’s School of Management received a clean AACSB International accreditation extension after what reviewers described as substantial progress despite significant...
Community colleges: performance funding incentives trimmed in Texas
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board officials adjusted performance-based funding for community colleges after incentives proved unaffordable as colleges outperformed expectations. The change...
Student success and disability compliance: ADA Title II digital deadline
The Justice Department extended the ADA Title II digital accessibility compliance timeline for large public institutions after the original deadline passed in April. Reporting on the compliance...
University governance under pressure: AAUP alleges political extortion
The American Association of University Professors denounced what it calls “extortion” of universities by politicians, arguing that federal leverage is being used to demand changes to governance,...