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Latest Higher Education News
Student Aid Moves: Wage‑Garnishment Pause and Pell Enrollment Shifts
The Department of Education announced an unexpected pause on involuntary collections such as Administrative Wage Garnishment and Treasury offsets while it implements new repayment reforms under a...
Civil-rights crossfire: subpoenas and Title IX enforcement shift
A federal enforcement tug-of-war intensified this week as the University of Pennsylvania publicly rebuked a federal demand for lists of Jewish staff and internal Education Department data show a...
Ed Dept. rewires: higher‑ed unit moves to Labor — loan garnishments paused
The Trump administration moved core higher‑education functions out of the Department of Education and into the Department of Labor while pausing plans to garnish wages of defaulted student‑loan...
Research budgets under pressure: settlements, canceled grants and fiscal shock
Colleges are recalibrating budgets after a year of federal probes, canceled research grants and multi‑million dollar settlements tied to the administration’s push to police campus policies....
Admissions scramble: new federal reporting and presidential pressure strain campuses
Colleges nationwide reported scrambling to meet a sudden federal reporting mandate while a separate survey shows presidents increasingly view federal policy as a direct threat to institutional...
Censorship and patronage: state gag laws and conservative grants reshape campuses
State legislatures and federal funding choices are reshaping what colleges may teach and who gets support. A PEN America study found record state-level censorship laws restricting campus speech...
Sector shakeout looms — enrollment, pricing and unsustainable models put colleges at risk
Senior university leaders warned that a meaningful share of America’s colleges could close as declining international enrollments, tuition‑dependent finances and rising costs converge. Brandeis...
Federal aid under review: court reconsiders TRIO cancellations as Pell enrollments rise
A federal judge ordered the Education Department to reconsider its decision to cancel TRIO grants, finding the agency failed to follow statutory and regulatory requirements, even as Pell‑eligible...
AI in the engine room: campuses run systems they don’t yet govern
Universities have rapidly embedded AI across recruitment, admissions, scheduling, assessment and student support — but most lack a comprehensive map of those systems and clear accountability. What...
State boards and MSIs: governance moves and funding cuts reshape access
Governance shakeups and program cuts are producing immediate effects on institutional oversight and access for underserved students. Virginia’s new governor named 27 board members on his first...
Education Programs Shift to Labor: DOE higher‑ed staff moved into Labor Department
The Department of Education transferred staff from its Higher Education Programs Division to the Department of Labor this week, formalizing a policy realignment that ties postsecondary oversight...
Student wage garnishment paused: Education halts involuntary collections ahead of repayment overhaul
The Department of Education announced an indefinite pause on involuntary debt collection—including administrative wage garnishment and Treasury offsets—citing pending implementation of broad...
Court orders TRIO review: Judge demands reconsideration of canceled federal student‑support grants
A federal judge directed the Education Department to reconsider its cancellation of TRIO grants, ruling the agency failed to provide adequate explanation and did not follow required statutory and...
Censorship creep: PEN America finds record state and federal controls on campuses
PEN America’s report concluded that 2025 set records for state laws restricting higher education speech and operations, leaving more than half of U.S. students subject to at least one censorship...
Admissions data scramble: New federal mandate strains campus reporting systems
Nearly 2,200 colleges are scrambling to meet a new federal directive requiring seven years of granular admissions data by March 18, officials and campus administrators report. The Admissions and...
System stress warning: Brandeis president predicts 20–25% of colleges could close
Arthur Levine, newly appointed president of Brandeis University, warned at an AEI event that 20 to 25 percent of U.S. colleges could close in coming years as regional institutions shift online and...
Board shakeup in Virginia: New governor replaces university trustees on day one
Virginia’s incoming governor, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, named 27 board picks on her first day in office, triggering resignations among trustees at the University of Virginia and George Mason...
Online MBA sticker shock: Premium programs now rival full‑time tuition
Poets & Quants’ 2026 ranking shows a widening price range in online MBA programs, with top institutions charging six‑figure tuition that rivals residential degrees. Carnegie Mellon (Tepper), USC...
Pell growth at selective schools: ATI colleges boost low‑income enrollment
American Talent Initiative colleges enrolled nearly 75,000 Pell Grant recipients over the past decade, with transfer students accounting for the largest gains, the ATI reported. The surge reflects...
Education Dept. orders seven-year admissions dump – Small colleges scramble
The U.S. Department of Education ordered nearly 2,200 colleges to turn over seven years of granular admissions data, firing a fast-moving compliance deadline that colleges must meet by March 18....