‘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.

Week in review: Layoffs hit Michigan State, University of Northern Colorado and others

We’re rounding up last week’s stories, from an analysis on how different majors pay off to how colleges responded to the Trump administration’s compact. 

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.

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. 

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

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.

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

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. 

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.

Gov. Abbott: Texas is targeting professors over ‘leftist ideologies’

New laws in the state have dramatically reshaped public higher education and coincided with a wave of high-profile faculty terminations.

Where are tomorrow’s teachers? Education degrees drop over 2 decades.

Declines came in both bachelor's and master's degrees awarded between 2003-04 and 2022-23, an analysis of federal data shows.

Updated Oct. 22, 2025

US Chamber sues White House to block ‘plainly unlawful’ H-1B visa fee

The nonprofit’s lawsuit also alleges the $100,000 fee would render the H-1B program economically unviable for many.

‘Nothing less than government control’: Higher ed responds to Trump’s compact

Federal officials offered preferential funding treatment to nine initial colleges in exchange for sweeping changes. Here’s how they replied.

Harvard’s operations lost $112.6M in FY25 amid Trump’s pressure campaign

President Alan Garber called fiscal 2025 extraordinarily challenging for the Ivy League university "even by the standards of our centuries-long history."

Degrees boost earnings — but field of study matters, report finds

Workers with STEM degrees earn a median of $98,000 a year, versus $69,000 for arts and humanities majors, according to Georgetown University research.

Elon University AAUP demands larger faculty role in Queens University combination

“Faculty should be included in the decision of both institutions to move forward with the merger,” the group said.

University of Pennsylvania rejects Trump’s higher education compact

The Ivy League institution became the third college to decline the offer of priority for federal research funding in exchange for sweeping policy changes.

Judge halts layoffs of federal employees — for now

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

Brown University rejects Trump’s higher education compact

The Ivy League institution became the second prominent college, after MIT, to reject the deal over concerns about freedom and independence.

Court temporarily blocks overnight ban on expression at University of Texas System

A federal judge found “significant First Amendment issues” in a state law barring all free speech on public campuses between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Higher ed groups blast Trump plan to expand applicant data collection

A coalition led by the American Council on Education said the proposal would overly burden colleges and raise student privacy concerns.

Newsom vetoes bill allowing preference in college admissions for descendants of slaves

The California governor contended the legislation was unnecessary, writing that colleges can already determine whether to give such admissions advantages. 

Republican lawmakers ask McMahon to restore funding for Hispanic-serving colleges

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference pushed back on arguments that the programs discriminate by establishing racial quotas.

Antioch University’s president talks leadership and democratic education in uncertain times

Lori Varlotta took the helm of the nearly 175-year-old university this summer as it looks to raise its profile and grow the college coalition it co-founded.

Tracking the Trump administration’s moves to cap indirect research funding

We’re keeping tabs on the agencies that have tried to limit reimbursement for overhead costs to 15% — and the legal challenges against them.

Updated Oct. 14, 2025