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Higher ed loan limits and repayment overhaul under the Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education finalized new federal student loan regulations that tighten borrowing for graduate students and reshape repayment options, with most provisions taking effect July...
Accreditation as a policy lever – states and a new public accreditor move to challenge incumbents
State lawmakers are lining up proposals that would allow public colleges to leave their current accreditors and seek approval from the newly formed Commission for Public Higher Education (CPHE),...
Utah overhauls presidential exit package policy after severance controversy at Utah Valley University
The Utah Board of Higher Education announced it will review presidential exit package policies after questions about severance pay tied to outgoing Utah Valley University president Astrid Tuminez....
Affordability and enrollment pressure – Pitt launches free tuition promise for regional campus students
The University of Pittsburgh announced a tuition pledge that will provide free tuition at its four branch campuses for Pennsylvania students with household incomes below $75,000. The program is...
AI and the entry-level labor pipeline – automating Gen Z hiring can break the training ladder
MIT research scientist Andrew McAfee warned that replacing entry-level roles with automation may backfire by cutting off apprenticeship-style training that develops future knowledge workers....
Small business hiring rebound – 2026 onboarding expected to near 1 million grads
Gusto forecasts that small businesses will hire nearly 1 million recent graduates during the 2026 hiring season, totaling 974,000 hires at firms with 1–49 employees. The number is a modest rise...
Student affordability and immigration risk – FAFSA fears suppress applications for U.S. citizens with undocumented parents
A new report describes how some U.S. citizen students are avoiding federal financial aid because they fear submitting FAFSA data could put their undocumented parents at risk. The story centers on...
Utah and K-12 tech policy as recruitment lever – teacher recruitment benefits tied to cellphone restrictions
A survey of school district recruiters found that student cellphone restriction policies are increasingly viewed as a recruiting tool, with 29% of district officials citing a positive recruiting...
Brown University faces student-led litigation over alleged building security failures tied to a shooting
Three students who survived a shooting at Brown University filed suit alleging negligent security and premises liability, saying the university made it too easy for a former student to enter a...
Faculty and workload pressures – “ambient pressure” extends academic work into the summer for non-tenure-track faculty
A faculty-focused report argues that academic “time off” often fails to function as true off time, especially for many non-tenure-track instructors. It describes senior lecturer Kerry O’Grady at...
Federal student lending caps and repayment overhaul
The U.S. Department of Education finalized new rules tightening federal student loan limits for graduate borrowing, including the sunset of Grad PLUS and a narrowed definition of “professional...
State scrutiny of executive severance and university contracts
Utah’s Board of Higher Education moved to review presidential exit-package policies after questions about the severance terms for outgoing Utah Valley University president Astrid Tuminez, whose...
Affordability pressure driving commuter and non-enrollment decisions
A new EAB poll found that cost-of-living concerns are increasingly shaping whether high school graduates enroll in college. Two-thirds of respondents who chose not to enroll cited living-expense...
Student access to federal aid amid immigration data fears
U.S. citizen students with undocumented parents are increasingly hesitating to complete the FAFSA, fearing federal data-sharing could expose family members to immigration enforcement. The...
State higher ed systems recalibrate tuition promises and regional campus strategy
The University of Pittsburgh announced a new “Pitt Regional Campus Tuition Pledge” offering free tuition at its four branch campuses for Pennsylvanians with household incomes below $75,000,...
Accreditation independence under pressure from new state-backed agencies
Republican-led states are advancing policies that could allow public colleges to leave existing accrediting bodies for a new, state-backed commission. The Commission for Public Higher Education...
Institutional financial distress and campus asset sales
Hampshire College announced it will close and sell its 800-acre Amherst campus to address roughly $25 million in debt. President Jennifer Chrisler told the community the campus cannot “endure” in...
AI-enabled student learning and faculty governance friction
Arizona State University faculty members raised concerns that an AI course-material scraping program launched for a new platform is using lecture snippets without faculty consent. Faculty say the...
Student and educator mental health amid AI and career uncertainty
A new survey reported that students are experiencing uncertainty and emotional distress about how artificial intelligence will reshape their future careers. The findings include students...
Cyber and privacy concerns in AI-adjacent systems entering higher education ecosystems
Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner signaled privacy scrutiny after workers reported that Meta smart glasses captured graphic content, prompting contract termination and allegations...