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Latest Higher Education News

Tracker: who’s signed with the administration — mapping frozen grants and settlements

December 03, 2025

The administration’s campaign to condition federal research funding has produced a running tracker that catalogues which universities have had funding frozen, which have settled, and the terms of...

Student media suspended — campuses cite DOJ anti‑DEI guidance

December 03, 2025

Several institutions have suspended student‑run publications focused on Black and women students, citing a Department of Justice memo that warned against ‘unlawful proxies’ for race or sex....

Texas Tech tightens classroom rules — race, gender content now subject to review

December 03, 2025

The Texas Tech University System issued new restrictions requiring faculty to submit course materials on race, gender identity and sexual orientation for administrative review; the memo also...

Audit finds ‘derelict accounting’ at closed Eastern Gateway — federal aid $17.3M unclear

December 03, 2025

Ohio’s state auditor issued a scathing report accusing the now‑closed Eastern Gateway Community College of ‘derelict accounting and controls,’ and flagged $17.3 million in federal student aid as...

FAFSA filings climb — but Workforce Pell rollout faces steep hurdles

December 03, 2025

FAFSA completion among high‑school seniors rose to 26% by Nov. 21, an 11.7% improvement year over year, driven by the form’s earlier opening and simplifications in the application. Completion...

DEI officers report rising stress — teacher‑prep programs failing to expand educator diversity

December 03, 2025

A nationwide survey of campus diversity officers found that 87% of respondents say their jobs are more stressful than two years ago and 68% report their roles have become less predictable amid...

Boards and faculty at loggerheads — report urges limits on trustee overreach

December 03, 2025

A new Center for American Progress report argues that politicized governing boards have eroded academic freedom at public universities and recommends structural safeguards to limit trustee...

Education Department reorg: Trump moves spark multistate legal push

December 03, 2025

The Biden-era Education Department is being reshaped after the Trump administration announced interagency agreements to shift core programs to other federal agencies and approved mass layoffs. The...

Report warns trustees are overrunning campus authority — repair proposals follow

December 03, 2025

A new Center for American Progress report documents recent politicization of university governing boards and calls for rules to protect institutional autonomy. The analysis cites state takeovers...

Presidential shake-up: LSU splits system and campus roles — wider hiring wave follows

December 03, 2025

Louisiana State University's board on Nov. 4 split the combined system‑president and flagship chancellor role, appointing Wade Rousse as system president and James Dalton as chancellor of the...

Audit finds ‘derelict accounting’ at closed Eastern Gateway Community College

December 03, 2025

Ohio’s state auditor issued a scathing report accusing Eastern Gateway Community College—now closed—of pervasive recordkeeping failures and financial mismanagement during 2022–23. Auditors flagged...

Northwestern settles: $75 million payment restores frozen research funds — terms detailed

December 03, 2025

Northwestern University reached a settlement with the Trump administration to regain roughly $790 million in federal research funding, agreeing to a $75 million payment and a set of policy...

Texas Tech curbs classroom content and formalizes anti‑trans rules — review process introduced

December 03, 2025

The Texas Tech University System issued immediate restrictions on how faculty may teach about race, gender identity and sexual orientation, requiring faculty to submit certain course materials for...

University of Chicago halves its budget gap — but warns federal research uncertainty remains

December 03, 2025

The University of Chicago reported a roughly 44% reduction in its fiscal 2025 budget deficit, narrowing the shortfall to $160 million after a year of cuts and revenue gains. The institution's...

Workforce Pell rollout: colleges flag five implementation challenges

December 03, 2025

As the Department of Education prepares to extend Pell‑style aid to short‑term workforce programs by July, higher‑education leaders on a New America webinar outlined major obstacles. Panelists...

AI on campus: admissions screening and athletic programs adopt machine learning tools

December 03, 2025

Colleges are expanding AI use beyond classroom chatbots into admissions evaluation and athletic performance management. Some admissions offices now deploy AI to screen essays and transcripts, flag...

Accreditation shakeup: states and new agency vie for authority over public colleges

December 03, 2025

A nascent Commission for Public Higher Education—formed by a consortium of Southeastern public systems—has drawn votes and applications from state task forces and institutions seeking alternatives...

Texas Tech clamps course content: regents review and trans rules go live

December 03, 2025

Texas Tech University System’s new content-review rules took effect this week, requiring faculty to obtain administrative approval before teaching material on gender identity, sexual orientation...

Northwestern and more: universities cut deals with Trump admin to restore federal funds

December 03, 2025

Northwestern University agreed to pay $75 million and accept policy changes to regain roughly $790 million in suspended federal research funding after the Trump administration alleged civil‑rights...

Administration reshapes Education Dept.—states and unions sue over outsourcing

December 03, 2025

The Trump administration’s push to reassign Education Department programs to other federal agencies has accelerated into formal interagency agreements—and legal resistance. The administration...