Get the Daily Brief
Latest Higher Education News
Federal student-loan policy: “professional” degree cap rules hit in court
A federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Education from applying new regulations narrowing which graduate degrees count as “professional,” a designation that determines...
Education Department restructuring and enforcement capacity: civil rights move draws impeachment push
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici filed articles of impeachment against U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, alleging the secretary illegally dismantled parts of the U.S. Department of Education and lied...
Security and privacy: Canvas breach vendor-risk guidance for universities
Universities are being pushed to reassess vendor and identity-risk controls after Instructure’s Canvas learning management system was hit by a breach described as the largest educational data...
Student success and retention: new Clearinghouse momentum metrics hit decade highs
New National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data show first-year persistence and retention reached some of the highest levels in nearly a decade. For the fall 2024 first-time cohort, about...
Admissions policy and faculty governance: University of Michigan keeps early decision despite senate concerns
The University of Michigan is retaining binding early-decision admissions for the coming cycle even after a University Senate resolution urged it to halt the practice pending broad stakeholder...
College affordability: Whitman College caps tuition at 10% of family income
Whitman College announced a tuition-pricing overhaul guaranteeing that eligible students will pay no more than 10% of family earnings toward tuition for up to four years. The “10% Promise” is...
Institutional leadership transition: SNHU president reflects on board-selected changeover
Southern New Hampshire University’s president, Lisa Marsh Ryerson, discussed how SNHU handled a longer-than-typical transition after the board selected her as Paul LeBlanc’s successor. Ryerson,...
Higher ed compliance and civil rights: tuition equity policy challenged by DOJ in Kansas
Kansas and the U.S. Department of Justice moved to unwind Kansas’s in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students, asking a federal judge to strike down the state law. The joint motion...
Deepfakes and campus trust: higher ed ramps up defenses
Higher education institutions are increasing protections against deepfakes as AI-generated audio and video blur lines between cybercrime, fraud, misinformation, and student harm. Campus concerns...
AI workforce and training partnerships: $500M+ push to prepare for automation-driven job shifts
RAISE US, a bipartisan nonprofit founded by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, announced an initial effort backed by more than $500 million aimed at...
Federal student aid definitions and graduate borrowing eligibility
A federal judge vacated a U.S. Department of Education regulation that narrowed the definition of which graduate programs qualify as “professional” degrees—an outcome that could expand federal...
Education Department civil rights and special education function-shifting
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici moved to impeach U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, accusing the secretary of dismantling Department of Education functions and shuttering major offices tied to...
AI and academic integrity tooling—new workaround risk
Researchers and instructors warned that institutions’ growing reliance on AI “likelihood” detection tools is spawning a parallel marketplace. The concern is that some students can buy or access...
Student persistence and retention gains in fall 2024 cohorts
New National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data show first-year persistence and retention climbed to near-decade highs for students who started in fall 2024. The report found that 85.8%...
State compliance and student affordability policy—Arizona cuts higher ed access
Arizona’s enacted FY2027 budget signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs eliminates millions in higher education funding and reduces scholarship and program support aimed at expanding access. The budget removes...
Tuition equity litigation—Kansas joins DOJ in challenging in-state rates for undocumented students
The U.S. Department of Justice and Kansas officials moved to quash Kansas’s law allowing certain undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates. The joint request asks a federal judge to...
Campus cybersecurity and trust—deepfakes and impersonation threats
Higher education institutions are stepping up defenses against deepfakes after AI-generated voice cloning and fabricated media were reported to enable impersonation, fraud, and credential theft....
School system leadership transition—Los Angeles Unified superintendent appointment
Los Angeles Unified named Andres Chait as superintendent just days after Alberto Carvalho resigned, triggering a rapid leadership transition for the nation’s second-largest school district. The...
Preschool and early literacy predictors—kindergarten readiness and 3rd grade outcomes
New research and classroom survey evidence suggests early skill gaps solidify quickly—both in what kindergarten teachers prioritize and in what assessment data shows about later literacy outcomes....
Private higher education financial outlook—margin compression and Fitch warning
Fitch Ratings warned that private colleges face a deteriorating financial outlook as costs rise faster than revenue, particularly as inflation, labor pressures, and a policy environment...