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Biden pitches $12B for community college infrastructure

The money would go to states to help upgrade facilities and technology and increase access to schools in education deserts.

Oregon bill would allow 2- and 4-year public college mergers

Campus leaders who testified recently before state lawmakers didn't take a position on the measure.

Coursera prices IPO to raise $519M following watershed year for online education

The MOOC provider's prospectus offers a detailed look at how it has fared during the pandemic. 

UPDATED: March 31, 2021 at 3:25 p.m.

Adjunct college faculty taking the biggest hit from pandemic job losses

New annual employment data show which faculty groups were most affected by the pandemic-induced reductions.

Virginia establishes tuition-free community college for high-demand fields

The governor's office estimates the program will benefit 36,000 state residents.

Shift online exposed and expanded college cybersecurity vulnerabilities

Ransomware attacks doubled from 2019 to 2020, according to one report, and experts say the increased use of virtual tools opened up new threats.

Colleges ready students to get vaccines as eligibility requirements open up

Higher ed institutions are using different tactics to encourage students to find appointments and sign up for shots.

Colorado lawmakers move to axe state's admissions test mandate

A bill working through the legislature would give public colleges the ability to decide whether to require SAT and ACT scores.

Deep Dive

How many colleges and universities have closed since 2016?

Becker College will close at the end of the academic year. Officials said they struggled for two years to stabilize the school's finances.

UPDATED: March 29, 2021 at 5:28 p.m.

Will more colleges follow Rutgers and require the COVID-19 vaccine?

Public health and legal experts say mandating the shots at this stage enters new legal territory but can be supported.

Opinion

A learners-first system sounds simple, but changing the status quo won't be easy

Higher ed professor and former college president Peter Smith shares ideas for improving students' lifelong access to education.

New Hampshire lawmakers scrap governor's merger plan — for now

They're proposing a committee to study whether combining the state's two- and four-year college systems is necessary.

Advocates renew push to double the Pell Grant

A more coordinated effort to expand the federal program is emerging and has gained support from hundreds of colleges.

Maryland to give state HBCUs $577M to end long-running lawsuit

The schools can use the funds, which will be spread over 10 years, to develop new programs and support students.

Enrollment declines for 2020 high school grads may not be as big as projected

New Clearinghouse data corrects a "process error" that overestimated the drop-off in a release late last year.

Column

Admissions on the big screen: University takes enrollment events to the drive-in

Ohio's Kent State took a creative approach to beating "Zoom fatigue" while minding COVID-19 restrictions with its outreach to prospective students.

ACE highlights ways colleges can streamline student transfer

The pandemic disrupted enrollment patterns, which could lead to more students transferring between institutions, a new report explains.

State funding for community colleges set to fall 2% in fiscal 2021, report finds

Overall, states are spending $457 million less on two-year schools than they did last year — even as they battle sliding enrollment.

UPDATED: March 23, 2021 at 1:22 p.m.

Moody's upgrades higher ed outlook as more colleges eye a return to campus

The ratings agency is optimistic institutions will be able to have more in-person instruction and other activities this fall.

PASSHE head under fire after saying he might push to 'dissolve' system

Dan Greenstein's remarks come as officials work through a plan to merge six universities in the network into two separate entities.

Lawmakers reintroduced the College Transparency Act. Could it pass this time?

Advocates for the bill to track colleges' student-level outcomes say growing bipartisan support could usher it through Congress. 

Ed Dept gives colleges more flexibility to use federal relief funds

New guidance allows institutions to use the money on expenses incurred any time during the pandemic, a shift from the last administration.

Deep Dive

Donor and federal windfalls seed 'transformational' change at HBCUs

The racial reckoning last summer inspired a stream of giving to these schools that stands to shrink institutional equity gaps — if the support continues.

Midwest accreditor's latest move highlights shift in college oversight

The Higher Learning Commission plans to pilot differential accreditation based on institution type and mission, but details are scant so far.

Iowa bills would ban 'divisive concepts' in public colleges' diversity training

The measures are similar to restrictions that the Trump administration issued and that President Joe Biden has since rescinded.