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Higher‑ed groups press Congress: Urgent plea to plug Pell shortfall
More than 60 higher‑education organizations sent a joint letter to congressional leaders warning of a multi‑billion‑dollar shortfall in Pell Grant funding for fiscal 2026 and beyond and urging...
DOJ sues Harvard: Seeks monitor, grant clawbacks over campus antisemitism
The Justice Department filed suit against Harvard University, accusing university leaders of failing to curb antisemitic conduct during pro‑Palestinian demonstrations and asking a federal court to...
Treasury to collect defaulted loans – Education Dept. begins handing off aid operations
The Education Department and Treasury signed an interagency agreement that transfers responsibility for federal student loans in default—about $180 billion—to the Treasury Department, the first...
Ed programs scatter: 100-plus initiatives move across federal agencies
The Department of Education has begun moving more than 100 programs to other federal agencies under a series of interagency agreements, part of the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle and...
Universities plead: Don’t gut Grad PLUS — sector warns of enrollment collapse
Hundreds of colleges, faculty and graduate programs submitted public comments urging the Education Department not to implement proposed rules that would sharply limit federal Grad PLUS loans for...
States press curricular limits: Colleges scramble to revise race and identity courses
New state laws and legislative mandates are forcing colleges and universities to review and, in some cases, alter curricula that address race, gender and institutional discrimination. University...
Under secretary warns accreditors: Remove DEI standards or risk federal action
The Department of Education’s under secretary sent formal letters to two accreditors ordering them to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion standards he said violate federal civil‑rights law...
'Unusually steep' drop in autonomy: U.S. universities rated only 'moderate' by index
An international index found a sharp decline in U.S. university autonomy—an unusual, steep slide since 2015 that downgraded the country’s assessment to 'moderate.' The report attributes the drop...
Colleges scramble after exposé: Chávez tributes removed, renaming debates spread
Following a New York Times investigation alleging longstanding sexual abuse by labor leader César Chávez, numerous colleges and K‑12 districts moved quickly to remove his name from programs, cover...
When faculty stop showing up: Disengagement reshapes campus life
Reports and essays from campus leaders describe rising faculty disengagement—declining office hours, reduced campus presence and lower committee participation—and its effects on student...
Teachers move beyond AI basics: Training shifts to agentic tools for instruction
K–12 professional development is moving from basic AI uses—lesson templates and administrative automation—to training teachers to build and supervise agentic AI tools that perform complex,...
Education Dept. shifts student loans to Treasury — default crisis in focus
The Education Department announced a phased transfer of operational responsibility for the federal student‑loan portfolio to the U.S. Treasury, beginning with defaulted loans. The agreement...
Colleges plead with ED over Grad PLUS rule change — workforce majors at risk
Nearly 20,000 public comments poured into the Education Department after proposed regulations would sharply limit federal Grad PLUS loans for many graduate programs. Hundreds of institutions,...
Education Dept. warns accreditors — drop DEI standards or lose recognition
The Education Department’s top higher‑education official sent formal letters to two accreditors ordering them to rescind diversity, equity and inclusion standards the agency says violate federal...
Federal pressure on campuses: lawsuit and data demands squeeze colleges
The federal government escalated scrutiny of higher education this month by suing Harvard while simultaneously demanding expanded admissions data from institutions nationwide. The Department of...
EEOC questionnaires land at Cornell — campus antisemitism probe expands
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sent a detailed questionnaire to Cornell University employees seeking information about potential civil‑rights violations tied to allegations of...
'Unusually steep' drop in U.S. university autonomy — index downgrades nation
An international index of institutional autonomy recorded a dramatic decline for U.S. universities, describing the fall since 2015 as "unusually steep" and downgrading the country to a "moderate"...
Colleges pull César Chávez honors after abuse allegations — renaming debates erupt
Following a major investigation alleging sexual abuse by labor leader César Chávez, dozens of colleges and K–12 schools moved quickly to remove his name from programs, cover or remove statues and...
White House pushes federal AI framework — standards bodies and industry step in
The White House released a national framework outlining principles for Congress to govern artificial intelligence, urging strong federal leadership and warning against a patchwork of state rules....
AI arms race snarls campus cybersecurity — IT leaders race to set guardrails
Colleges are confronting an AI‑enabled escalation in cyber threats even as they rush to adopt generative tools across campus services. Attackers are increasingly using AI to scale phishing, craft...