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Latest Higher Education News
Federal overhaul of civil rights and special education enforcement
The U.S. Department of Education began shifting core civil rights investigation and special education responsibilities to other federal agencies, a change the administration says is designed to...
Feds cut English-learner training grants as lawsuit challenges terminations
A coalition led by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island, the National Education Association, and education researchers filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S....
State moves to replace eliminated Grad PLUS financing with new grad loan options
Minnesota launched the SELF Grad Loan program to fill a funding gap created by federal changes that eliminate Grad PLUS loans and cap other graduate borrowing effective July 1. The state’s Office...
Student loans policy fights: Republicans push Grad borrowing cap changes for nurses
As federal student loan borrowing caps take effect July 1 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Republicans in Congress are moving to carve out additional graduate borrowing authority for nursing...
Federal accountability and reporting shakeups: shifting the rules for OCR and student privacy
The Education Department’s civil rights transition is extending beyond investigation mechanics into privacy and enforcement functions tied to education law. New interagency agreements announced...
Data center security and campus cyber risk: Canvas-linked breach expands
A cybersecurity operation tied to the ShinyHunters group appears to have widened its access attempts beyond initial targets, with reports indicating potentially compromised education systems using...
Higher ed public trust campaign pushes campuses toward measurable accountability
AAC&U released “The Trust Agenda,” calling on colleges and universities to rebuild public confidence through a proactive plan focused on trustworthiness and measurable action. The framework urges...
AI in classrooms: calls for guardrails centered on human judgment
At a U.S. Senate hearing on AI in schools, witnesses pressed for guardrails that preserve “human judgment” while acknowledging schools need training and standards for responsible AI use. Delaware...
Student success and engagement: AI-powered advising tool added to Common App
Common App added an AI advising tool designed to help students navigate applications, deadlines, and enrollment support, partnering with College Possible. The addition is intended to provide more...
Enrollment and governance pressure: St. John’s College consolidates presidency amid budget strain
St. John’s College approved a governing-board decision to consolidate separate campus presidencies into a single collegewide leadership role, citing cost reduction needs amid budget pressure and...
Federal oversight of education civil rights and special education is being moved out of ED
The U.S. Department of Education began transferring core civil-rights investigation and special-education responsibilities to other federal agencies, advancing the Trump administration’s plan to...
Graduate student borrowing changes spur state-level aid responses
As federal loan caps and the elimination of Grad PLUS take effect July 1, Minnesota launched the SELF Grad Loan program to fill gaps for graduate students. The state’s low-interest, fixed-rate...
Special education and civil-rights responsibilities are being operationally relocated
The Education Department outlined how its civil-rights and special-education functions will be reassigned through new interagency agreements, with OCR moving to the Justice Department and OSERS...
Tuition affordability and student finance pressure are reshaping institution and student behavior
New research-backed reporting describes how tuition-billing reminders and standard collections workflows help some students while worsening outcomes for others. Instead of viewing missed payment...
Students are reshaping majors and career plans as AI disruption hits entry-level work
Goldman Sachs data suggests college students are changing majors at a faster pace than in prior technological transitions as they reassess exposure to AI disruption. In its analysis, enrollment in...
Campus speech policy enforcement staffing is expanding
Higher education institutions are hiring dedicated “student expression specialists” to create, explain, and enforce college speech policies, reflecting how campus protests and enforcement demands...
Data center infrastructure is becoming a higher-ed competitive differentiator—while communities push back
New reporting and analysis warn that universities’ ability to build and operate AI-capable computing infrastructure is increasingly defining institutional competitiveness. The argument centers on...
Accreditation branding changes signal a broader reframe of regional accreditation identity
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges announced it will operate under a new public-facing brand beginning September 1, moving to “The Commission on Colleges and...
Federal policy and AI in schools: lawmakers ask for guardrails and teacher training
A U.S. Senate hearing focused on how schools should use AI while protecting “human judgment.” Witnesses told lawmakers that guardrails and outcome-based evaluation should guide adoption, and...
University leadership changes and board tensions spark athletics and community fallout
Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo publicly criticized Board of Trustees tensions that he said contributed to the departure of President Kevin Guskiewicz and the athletic...