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Latest Higher Education News

Heritage pushes overhaul: accreditation’s role targeted

February 14, 2026

The Heritage Foundation published a higher‑education blueprint urging removal of accreditors as gatekeepers to federal student aid, proposing that states or other third parties assume quality...

AI readiness clash — employers want skills, faculty relax bans

February 14, 2026

Employers reported in a global survey that universities are not producing enough graduates with hands‑on AI skills; 77% of employers expect new hires to have practical AI experience but 58% say...

Student wellbeing and campus safety collide after spring violence

February 14, 2026

New survey data show students place high value on mental health but underuse campus counseling: while 93% say mental health is important and 73% trust campus services, only 18% actually received...

Endowments strained as withdrawals surge and gifts fall

February 14, 2026

Colleges increased endowment spending sharply in fiscal 2025 as funding pressures intensified: institutions withdrew $33.4 billion, a 17% rise from the prior year, while new gifts to endowments...

UK student visas tumble — recruitment risk for universities

February 14, 2026

Home Office visa data show a sharp decline in sponsored‑study visa applications in January, down roughly 31% year‑over‑year and the weakest January since at least 2022. Universities and...

Justice Department sues Harvard: demands admissions documents

February 13, 2026

The Justice Department filed suit against Harvard, accusing the university of withholding applicant‑level admissions records needed to determine whether race played an unlawful role in admissions...

Oklahoma phases out tenure... AGB pushes clearer shared governance

February 13, 2026

Oklahoma’s governor issued an executive order to phase out tenure for public university faculty, prompting immediate concern among professors about academic freedom and faculty recruitment. The...

NSF returns fellowship applications... investigators offer little explanation

February 13, 2026

The National Science Foundation has been returning fellowship applications with minimal explanation, leaving early‑career researchers uncertain about review timelines and funding prospects....

UT Austin folds gender and ethnic studies into single department

February 13, 2026

The University of Texas at Austin announced it will consolidate gender studies and ethnic studies into a single academic department. Administrators framed the change as an administrative...

Epstein files force universities to reckon: investigations, removals follow

February 13, 2026

Colleges nationwide are confronting fallout from newly released Epstein documents that tied donors, faculty and administrators to Jeffrey Epstein. Universities from state flagships to private...

Small Catholic college to close: Lourdes University to end operations

February 13, 2026

Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, announced it will close at the end of the academic year after trustees and its sponsoring religious order cited declining enrollment and mounting financial...

Students value mental health but avoid campus counseling—survey

February 13, 2026

A 2025 Thriving College Student survey finds nearly all students say mental health matters, but far fewer use on‑campus counseling services. While 93% agree mental health is important and 73% say...

Microsoft launches educator AI training — employers warn grads lack skills

February 13, 2026

Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate for Educators, a global community and credentialing program to train teachers in generative AI tools, offering free courses, live sessions and industry...

Faculty ease AI bans... students turn to ChatGPT for college searches

February 13, 2026

A new study shows faculty are shifting from outright bans on student use of AI to more nuanced policies that allow guided, course‑aligned use while protecting assessment integrity. Institutions...

Education Department posts 2025 foreign‑funding data: $5B reported

February 13, 2026

The U.S. Education Department published 2025 data showing colleges reported more than $5 billion in foreign gifts and contracts, part of a transparency push that escalates scrutiny of...

Lourdes University to close: trustees cite shrinking enrollment, athletic-heavy model

February 13, 2026

Lourdes University announced it will close at the end of the 2025–26 academic year after its board and the Sisters of St. Francis concluded the institution’s finances were unsustainable. Trustees...

Providence Christian College to close – accreditation and finances force shutdown

February 13, 2026

Providence Christian College said its board will close the institution at the end of the 2025–26 academic year after exhausting options to stabilize operations. The college pointed to weak...

Accreditation in flux: medical accreditor reviews inequities curricula as federal rulemaking looms

February 13, 2026

Accreditors and federal officials are moving to reshape higher‑education oversight: a national medical accreditor is contemplating rolling back explicit curriculum requirements on health...

NSF returning fellowship applications... applicants left without explanation

February 13, 2026

The National Science Foundation has been returning fellowship applications with minimal explanation, the reporting shows, generating confusion among early‑career researchers and graduate students....

Employers press schools on AI skills – faculty shift from bans to nuanced AI policies

February 13, 2026

Employers and faculty are sending mixed signals to higher education leaders: a global employer survey found a large majority expect new hires to have hands‑on AI experience, while campus...