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Academic associations politicized: prize declines and congressional accusations
Scholarly and scholarship organizations are under escalating partisan pressure. A Purdue history professor publicly declined the Modern Language Association’s Scaglione Prize in protest of the...
FAFSA surge and AI in admissions — tools reshape the applicant funnel
FAFSA completions for the Class of 2026 rose sharply after the simplified form opened earlier than required and eliminated friction such as separate FAFSA ID creation, prompting advocates to call...
Classroom to career: deliberative dialogue and AI anxiety shape curriculum
Colleges and faculty are pushing new classroom practices to manage polarized discussion and prepare students for civic life. Panels and practitioners are promoting deliberative dialogue frameworks...
Sector on edge — ratings downgrades and warnings of campus bankruptcies
S&P Global issued a negative outlook for U.S. nonprofit colleges for 2026, citing weaker operating margins, enrollment competition, federal policy shifts and rising costs. Analysts warned small,...
Yale braces for endowment tax shock — layoffs on the table
Yale University warned staff this week that it expects to pay roughly $300 million annually in new federal endowment taxes and is preparing cost reductions that could include workforce cuts....
Education degrees excluded from new 'professional' loan caps — borrowers face limits
The U.S. Department of Education is proposing to omit education programs from its definition of “professional degrees,” a change that would restrict graduate loan limits for many...
Ratings firms signal pain for colleges in 2026 — negative outlooks pile up
Three major credit-rating agencies issued negative outlooks for higher education's finances, warning of deteriorating credit conditions and consolidation in 2026. Fitch said it expects a worsening...
Faculty pushback grows as Trump-era probes reshape campus governance
George Mason University's faculty senate voted to oppose any settlement with the Trump administration that would impose ongoing federal oversight, urging the board and president to reject deals...
Graduate programs face financial squeeze — scholars warn collapse could be underway
Analysts and campus leaders are raising alarms about graduate education as loan caps, funding cuts and visa restrictions converge. A Chronicle analysis and related reporting describe programs...
FAFSA momentum meets administrative friction — ED conference delays raise alarms
FAFSA completions for the Class of 2026 surged after the simplified form opened early, with advocates reporting record filing rates. At the same time financial‑aid administrators say the Education...
Tribal colleges brace for Interior Department oversight — leaders warn of disruption
The Department of the Interior will assume management of some tribal college funding previously handled by the Education Department, prompting concern among tribal college leaders about...
Wave of presidential appointments reshapes campus leadership for 2026
Colleges and universities announced a broad slate of presidential appointments and successions that will take effect in 2026, shifting leadership at state flagships, regional publics and private...
Harvard lawsuit dismissed — court ends former student's antisemitism claim
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by a former Harvard student who alleged antisemitic harassment during a 2023 campus protest, resolving a high‑profile legal challenge that had drawn...
FTC accuses ABA of monopolizing law‑school accreditation
The Federal Trade Commission sent a letter to the Texas Supreme Court asserting the American Bar Association has effectively held a monopoly over law‑school accreditation and that its standards...
Trump’s higher‑ed agenda: federal actions reshuffle campus rules
The White House and federal agencies have moved aggressively to remake Washington’s relationship with colleges and universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education is tracking a string of executive...
S&P warns: nonprofit colleges face a negative outlook for 2026
S&P Global Ratings issued a negative 2026 outlook for U.S. nonprofit colleges, citing rising operating pressures, federal policy shifts, enrollment competition and new revenue strains tied to...
Interior takeover... tribal colleges brace as oversight shifts from Education Dept.
The U.S. Department of the Interior will assume management of tribal college funding previously administered by the Education Department, a structural shift that tribal leaders say could disrupt...
Office for Students opens probe: University of Greater Manchester faces regulator scrutiny
England’s higher‑education regulator, the Office for Students, has launched an inquiry into the University of Greater Manchester following police investigations and allegations of financial...
Ohio audit slams Eastern Gateway: federal aid and recordkeeping in question
State auditors in Ohio concluded that Eastern Gateway Community College showed “derelict accounting and controls” in the period before its closure, flagging $17.3 million of federal student aid as...
Cost caps and policy shocks: graduate programs face enrollment squeeze
Two new analyses place cost and policy at the center of graduate education risk. EAB’s 2025 Adult Learner Survey found price has become the primary gatekeeper for prospective master’s and...