The Latest

  • Old Main academic building on campus of Utah State University, Logan Utah.
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    Leadership Ledger

    Utah makes its first secret college presidential selection

    We’re rounding up some of the most significant leadership changes in October. Who's coming and who's going?

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    Duane Prokop via Getty Images
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    Taco Bell says education benefits have driven retention

    The Tacos and Tuition program offers upfront tuition coverage, including for bachelor's and master's degrees, to eligible workers.

  • President Donald Trump walks to his car wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    ‘End of an era’: Experts warn research executive order could stifle scientific innovation

    The directive gives President Donald Trump’s political appointees oversight of grant awards to align them with the administration’s priorities.

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    Kobus Louw via Getty Images
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    Education Department ordered to reinstate mental health grants

    The ruling, which the agency said it will appeal, came after 16 states sued over its cancellation of the multi-year congressionally approved funding.

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    Virginia lawmakers call for audit of UVA’s Justice Department deal

    Two Democratic leaders of the Virginia Senate said the public university’s deal with the Trump administration could violate both state law and the Constitution.

  • The front view of the U.S. Department of Education building features a modern glass facade with vertical windows, and the department's name is displayed above the entrance; two monuments frame the building.
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    Alamy
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    Education Department tightens debt relief program for public servants

    A new rule will bar organizations deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose” from participating in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Tracker

    How publicly traded higher education companies are performing

    Coursera’s revenue grew over 10% in the third quarter as users flocked to skills trainings in artificial intelligence.

    Updated May 9, 2025
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    Sophie Park via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    The legal debate over Trump’s Title VI campus crackdown

    Recent enforcement actions have set off high-stakes arguments about whether the federal government is weaponizing the civil rights law.

  • U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Week in review: 2 colleges volunteer for Trump’s compact

    We’re rounding up last week’s stories, from sweeping layoffs at a well-known ed tech company to the sector's fight against the $100K H-1B fee.

  • Textbook rental company Chegg.com demonstrate their site to students of the University of Texas at Caffe Medici on August 26, 2009 in Austin, Texas.
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    Sarah Kerver via Getty Images
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    Chegg slashes nearly half of its workforce as AI eats into its business

    The ed tech company is restructuring and shuffling its leadership as it continues on alone after considering a possible sale and other alternatives.

  • A person walks in front of the exterior of the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Education.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Judge extends pause on layoffs of federal employees

    Here's a timeline tracing the Trump administration's efforts to slash half of the U.S. Education Department's workforce.

    Updated Oct. 29, 2025
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    The image by Alaska Miller is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    New College of Florida says it will ‘happily be the first’ to sign Trump’s higher ed compact

    The public institution has already instituted many policies favored by the Trump administration after it was remade by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023.

  • A close-up shot of Kristi Noem.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Higher ed groups push for colleges to be exempt from $100K H-1B visa fee

    The American Council on Education led a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that argues these visa holders perform vital work. 

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    The image by Kenneth C. Zirkel is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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    Private New York colleges get $50M in state financing for capital projects

    Since its creation in 2005, the Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program has awarded $369.8 million to colleges across the state.

  • Large brick building with turrets on St. Norbert campus with flagpole at center of frame.
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    The image by Jhansen23 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    St. Norbert College to add 5 new programs after March cuts

    The Catholic nonprofit anticipates having a balanced budget in fiscal 2026, following multiple rounds of layoffs and academic cuts.

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    Feds launch site for employers to pay controversial H-1B fee, clarify exemptions

    The update answers some of employers’ questions, but the future of President Donald Trump’s restrictions on new skilled-worker visas is still uncertain.

  • A few pedestrians walk by Columbia University's gates.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Columbia University’s operating income plunges by nearly two-thirds

    Costs at the Ivy League institution rose far faster than revenue, and "destabilizing" federal research cuts added pressure to its budget.

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    ‘A fair deal’ or a ‘surrender’? Stakeholders weigh in on Trump-UVA agreement

    The Democratic head of the Virginia senate called the agreement a surrender with “significant constitutional problems,” a concern echoed by some faculty.

  • Michigan State University's Spartan Stadium
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    The image by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Michigan State University lays off 99 employees

    Along with budget pressures from rising costs, the university has faced dozens of federal grant terminations, leading to another 83 job cuts.

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    70% of Americans say feds shouldn’t control admissions, curriculum

    The Public Religion Research Institute poll comes as the Trump administration is pressuring colleges to change their policies. 

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    Win McNamee / Staff via Getty Images
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    Tracker

    Tracking the Trump administration’s deals with colleges

    The University of Virginia will follow the U.S. Department of Justice's guidance banning diversity, equity and inclusion to pause five federal probes.

    Updated Oct. 23, 2025
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    The image by Button74 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    University of Northern Colorado plans to lay off 50 employees

    State budget cuts and a smaller-than-expected fall class contributed to millions of dollars of pressure on the public institution’s budget.

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    Sophie Park / Stringer via Getty Images
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    Harvard v. Trump

    What’s the latest in Harvard University’s battle with the Trump administration?

    The university slashed Ph.D. spots for the next two years by more than half, while a staff union lambasted mass layoffs at its engineering school.

    Updated Oct. 22, 2025
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    How rare are colleges that enroll and graduate high shares of Pell Grant students?

    Institutions that serve as “equity engines” for low-income students are sparse throughout the U.S., according to recent research. 

  • A bird's eye view of at least a dozen people taking a standardized test.
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    SAT and ACT participation remains below pre-pandemic levels

    Average scores on both tests also haven't rebounded from those recorded in the year before COVID-19 hit.