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Union sues over loan backlog — AFT accuses Education Dept. of failing borrowers
The American Federation of Teachers escalated legal pressure on the Department of Education this month, saying the agency has a backlog of more than 800,000 income-driven repayment (IDR)...
AAUP raises alarm over Palantir work for Education Dept. — Faculty groups demand transparency
The American Association of University Professors publicly challenged the Education Department’s use of Palantir technology on a federal portal that tracks foreign gifts and contracts to colleges,...
Rising costs squeeze college budgets — HEPI posts higher-than-expected inflation
Colleges face mounting budget pressure as the 2025 Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) exceeded long-term expectations, recording a 3.6 percent inflation rate for the year, Commonfund and sector...
UNC to close area-studies centers — System aims for $7M in savings
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill leadership told faculty that six area-studies centers will be closed in 2026 as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and streamline operations,...
Small Catholic college trims faculty after probation — Christian Brothers cuts continue
Christian Brothers University in Tennessee announced plans to eliminate 16 full‑time faculty positions at the end of the spring semester as part of an ongoing restructuring to stabilize finances,...
Courts split on academic freedom and state limits — Legal rulings redraw campus boundaries
Recent federal decisions in 2025 produced a fractured legal landscape for higher education, with some courts upholding state laws that limit classroom content and others finding federal overreach...
UVA picks Darden dean Scott Beardsley — board acts amid political scrutiny
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors unanimously selected Scott C. Beardsley as the university’s next president, concluding a contentious search that intersected with state politics and...
Trump administration appeals judge’s rebuke — Harvard funding fight moves to appeals court
The Justice Department filed an appeal of a federal judge’s ruling that blocked the Trump administration’s orders to freeze roughly $2.2 billion in Harvard research funding. U.S. District Judge...
Manhunt ends: Brown shooting suspect found dead — investigators link killings to MIT professor
Authorities announced that the suspect wanted in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a New Hampshire storage facility, and...
Under Trump, accreditation oversight produces probes but no sweeping overhaul
The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) held its first sessions under the Trump administration amid partisan tension but stopped short of radical...
Consensus reached on Workforce Pell rules — negotiated package sets guardrails
Department of Education negotiators reached consensus during a negotiated rulemaking session on regulatory language to implement the new Workforce Pell Grant program, establishing how short-term...
AFT presses Education Dept. over massive IDR backlog — borrowers stalled
The American Federation of Teachers accused the Department of Education of failing borrowers after a status report showed a backlog of more than 800,000 applications for income-driven repayment...
Universities cut centers and challenge faculty — governance and politics collide
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced plans to close multiple area-studies centers in 2026 as part of a campuswide budget-reduction effort intended to save millions and...
AAUP raises alarm over Palantir’s role on Education Dept. portal — calls for transparency
The American Association of University Professors publicly challenged the Education Department’s reported use of Palantir as a subcontractor on a federal portal tracking foreign gifts to...
Rising operating costs and enrollment declines squeeze balance sheets — closures follow
Colleges are confronting accelerating operating costs as Commonfund’s Higher Education Price Index showed 3.6% sector inflation for 2025, outpacing prior decades’ expectations. Institutions face...
K–12–higher ed pipeline frays: career pathways expand as dual‑credit stalls on staffing
States and districts are expanding career‑connected pathways to link high school coursework with postsecondary credentials and employer internships — with Delaware and Indiana frequently cited as...
UVA names Darden dean Scott Beardsley – Board moves despite governor-elect objections
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors unanimously selected Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the Darden School of Business, to be the university’s next president. The vote closes a months‑long,...
Trump administration appeals Harvard funding ruling – Government pushes fight to appeals court
The Justice Department filed an appeal after a federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s freeze of roughly $2.2 billion in Harvard research funding. U.S. District Judge Allison...
Manhunt ends after Brown shooting; suspect found dead – Investigation ties case to MIT slaying
Authorities announced the end of a multistate manhunt after Claudio Neves Valente, a 48‑year‑old former Brown student, was found dead of a self‑inflicted gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage...
ED negotiators reach Workforce Pell agreement – Rulemaking set to expand Pell to short-term training
The U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated‑rulemaking committee reached consensus on regulations implementing the new Workforce Pell Grant program. The package outlines which short‑term...