Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Federal education programs redistributed amid push to dismantle the Department of Education
A package of new House Republican bills would permanently shift the administration of many U.S. Department of Education programs to other federal agencies, lawmakers said. The measures, led by...
Budget cuts and deficit pressures drive layoffs and tuition increases at Temple University
Temple University signaled another round of cost actions for fiscal year 2027, including laying off about 40 employees, as it works to close a projected budget gap. The public university said its...
New York public pressure on school contracting and labor terms
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin escalated pressure on schools leadership over contracts and the provision of documentation, according to the report. Menin said she had been given...
Academic freedom and DEI policy disputes reach courtrooms at Texas Tech
The American Association of University Professors–American Federation of Teachers sued the Texas Tech University System in federal court, alleging a sweeping curricular review regime amounts to...
Yale faculty prepare to oppose a potential DOJ settlement over admissions claims
Yale University faculty leaders escalated opposition to a potential settlement with the Trump administration by filing a letter from the Yale chapter of the American Association of University...
Court battle over policing protest footage allows publication but limits distribution
A judge allowed a news outlet to publish a school lockdown video from New Brunswick Today, but the order includes limits, according to the report. Lawyers for the outlet described the ruling as a...
Instructor speech and DEI-linked rules tested in California community colleges
Bakersfield College and the California Community College system reached a settlement with professor Daymon Johnson after he sued over faculty diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility...
AI and admissions/testing policy shifts ripple through graduate program decisions
GMAC is introducing a new “GMAT Superscore” feature for GMAT Focus attempts starting in early August, designed to combine a test-taker’s highest Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights results across...
Educator workforce pipelines face tighter federal loan caps under new policy
A new research analysis says federal borrowing cap rules could constrain educator advancement into school leadership roles by limiting graduate-level funding for degrees tied to principal and...
Student well-being funding surges as MacKenzie Scott gives $20 million for youth mental health
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott made a $20 million gift to Active Minds to expand youth mental health programming in the U.S. The donation is described as the largest in the nonprofit’s history and...
Presidential pressure on Iran’s maritime blockade talks
Iranian officials told Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei that the U.S. naval blockade is crushing the economy, according to reporting cited from the New York Times. The accounts emerged as...
Federal student aid rules tightening program earnings scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Education issued a final rule creating the Student Tuition and Transparency System (STATS) and new programmatic earnings accountability requirements tied to the One Big...
Budget cuts and layoffs at a major public university
Temple University moved into fiscal 2027 under renewed budget pressure, cutting $60 million in expenses and planning layoffs of about 40 employees as it works to close an $85 million deficit...
Faculty governance and academic freedom under review policies (Texas Tech)
Faculty represented by the American Association of University Professors and the Texas AAUP–American Federation of Teachers sued the Texas Tech University System in federal court, arguing the...
Yale admissions probes face faculty-led resistance to a potential DOJ deal
Yale University faculty, through the Yale chapter of the American Association of University Professors, urged the university to reject any settlement with the federal government related to...
CALIFORNIA employment climate: DEI-related discipline fights in community colleges
Bakersfield College and the California community college system reached a settlement with professor Daymon Johnson, whose lawsuit challenged DEI and accessibility requirements for faculty teaching...
Cybersecurity and AI safety guidance for universities
Security leaders are being pushed to treat AI adoption as a higher-risk environment for student data, research IP, and compliance—especially as generative AI becomes embedded in admissions...
University leadership transitions across U.S. campuses
Several higher education institutions made major presidential and executive leadership moves this week, including Clemson University’s unanimous selection of Benjamin C. Ayers as president and...
Enrollment market pressure: university layoffs amid deficit and rising costs
Higher education’s budget squeeze is continuing to translate into staffing decisions, with Temple’s planned layoffs fitting a wider pattern of institutions cutting expenses as enrollment pressures...
Expanded scholarship commitment for low-income students (PASSHE)
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) committed to covering remaining tuition for low-income students, aiming to reduce out-of-pocket barriers that can derail persistence. The...