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Latest Higher Education News

Affirmative‑action fallout... selective enrollments fall while broader access rises

February 13, 2026

New federal enrollment data analyzed by Hechinger and other outlets show complex outcomes after the Supreme Court’s 2023 end to race‑conscious admissions: many highly selective institutions...

AI firms prey on students — career bots struggle to deliver real guidance

February 13, 2026

Reporting highlights two pressures as campus life meets generative AI: private AI companies are aggressively marketing tools that facilitate cheating and academic shortcuts, while schools and...

AGB presses Virginia on board roles; Virginia Tech ends identity‑based graduations

February 13, 2026

Ross Mugler, president and CEO of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB), testified before the Virginia General Assembly urging clearer separation of roles between trustees, presidents and...

Campus incidents and surveillance: professor on leave; UNC policy expands recording powers

February 13, 2026

Ohio State University placed an assistant professor on administrative leave after video showed him tackling a documentarian who sought to question former president E. Gordon Gee on campus. The...

Remote testing and academic integrity under pressure: LSAT remote ends; AI plagiarism ruling

February 13, 2026

The Law School Admission Council will end remote delivery of the LSAT, citing widespread cheating concerns that prompted a return to in‑person exams. The change follows a string of integrity...

Accreditation overhaul: Feds press accreditors, curricula face rollback

February 12, 2026

The U.S. Department of Education has launched a formal rulemaking push while medical and regional accreditors debate how explicit equity and health‑inequities training should be in professional...

Foreign funding exposed: $5B in overseas gifts lands on federal database

February 12, 2026

The U.S. Department of Education published 2025 disclosures showing colleges accepted more than $5 billion in reportable foreign gifts and contracts, prompting fresh scrutiny of campus...

Endowments under strain: Gifts fall, withdrawals spike

February 12, 2026

New NACUBO‑Commonfund data show colleges’ new gifts to endowments fell 9.2% in fiscal 2025 while institutions increased withdrawals to $33.4 billion to cover operating shortfalls. Average one‑year...

Small college closures: Two private campuses announce shutdowns

February 12, 2026

Two private institutions announced they will close at the end of the academic year after prolonged enrollment and fiscal distress. Providence Christian College cited accreditation shortfalls,...

Epstein files fallout: Faculty face probes, titles stripped

February 12, 2026

Universities continue to respond to newly released Jeffrey Epstein‑era documents with personnel actions and institutional reviews. Several faculty members who corresponded with Epstein have been...

Governance and surveillance: Boards defend roles as campus monitoring rules shift

February 12, 2026

The Association of Governing Boards (AGB) pressed the Virginia legislature to codify clear, distinct roles for trustees, presidents and faculty—arguing that faculty voting on boards creates...

AI and students: Companies’ tactics, classroom fights reach courts

February 12, 2026

Universities and students are grappling with commercial AI tools that aggressively recruit campus users and reshape academic practices. Reporting shows some AI vendors targeting undergraduates...

Student aid stress: FAFSA fixes meet rising defaults

February 12, 2026

The Education Department said recent FAFSA reforms improved customer satisfaction and increased Pell eligibility, but federal loan data show delinquencies and defaults are rising: roughly one...

Admissions and degrees: Post‑affirmative action shifts and 3‑year proposals

February 12, 2026

New federal enrollment data show complex, uneven effects after the end of affirmative‑action admissions, with many selective private colleges reporting drops in Black and Hispanic first‑year...

Campus safety and crisis planning: Viral altercation spotlights gaps

February 12, 2026

A viral video showing an assistant professor tackling a documentarian seeking comments from a former university president prompted an administrative leave and renewed calls for robust campus...

Education Dept. publishes 2025 foreign‑funding data: campuses flagged

February 12, 2026

The U.S. Department of Education posted a new 2025 dataset showing colleges reported more than $5 billion in foreign gifts and contracts. The public release names top recipients — including...

Endowments under pressure: gifts fall, withdrawals jump

February 12, 2026

New NACUBO‑Commonfund data show gifts to college endowments fell 9.2% in fiscal 2025 while institutions withdrew a record $33.4 billion to cover operating budgets. Average one‑year investment...

Small colleges shutter: closures spread across sector

February 12, 2026

Two private institutions announced closures this week as financial strain and enrollment shortfalls forced boards to opt for an orderly wind‑down. Lourdes University said it will close in May...

Epstein files force campus reckoning — faculty face sanctions

February 12, 2026

Universities are acting after newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents connected donors and academics to the financier. Several faculty members have been stripped of titles or teaching duties; at...

Admissions shakeup: affirmative‑action fallout and program cuts

February 12, 2026

New federal enrollment analysis finds that after the Supreme Court ended affirmative action, Black and Hispanic first‑year enrollment fell at many highly selective colleges even as overall...