Inside North Carolina’s direct admissions program

A statewide initiative is offering high school students proactive admission to dozens of public and private colleges, following a pilot last year.

New Jersey City University and Kean University sign official deal to merge

Under the deal, New Jersey City University would become “Kean Jersey City,” marking a new chapter after years of financial distress.

NIH temporarily restores UC grants under court order

But in court filings this week, the federal agency reported some difficulties identifying which of the researcher grants it canceled needed to be reinstated.

Washington University lays off over 300 employees

The private St. Louis institution has also cut nearly 200 unfilled positions as it grapples with federal cuts, rising expenses and a heightened endowment tax.

Week in review: Courts weigh in on higher education lawsuits

We’re rounding up last week’s stories, from the top conferences to attend in 2026 to the latest federal investigations into colleges.

At least 4 presidents abruptly departed their institutions last month amid pressure campaigns

New Jersey City University and the University of Vermont also formally installed their new leaders in September.

HHS moves to cut Harvard off from all federal grants and contracts

The agency's Office for Civil Rights on Monday recommended blocking the university's access to the funding to protect the public interest.

The top higher education conferences to attend in 2026

We’re rounding up a list of major events to help college leaders and administrators plan their calendars next year.

Education Department can cut half of OCR staff for now, appeals court rules

The order comes as the agency was complying with a prior court order to return its laid-off Office for Civil Rights staffers back to work.

Texas Tech orders colleges to align instruction with Trump administration’s gender views

The directive from Chancellor Tedd Mitchell immediately drew backlash from free speech advocates, with one attorney describing it as “obvious censorship.”

California State University faces systemwide EEOC probe over antisemitism concerns

The federal agency has begun contacting faculty and staff members to “review allegations of antisemitism,” Chancellor Mildred García told the system. 

University of South Dakota must reinstate professor on leave over Kirk comments, judge orders

U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier said the instructor had a “fair chance of prevailing” in his lawsuit alleging the institution violated his free speech rights.

Most adults say higher education is important but want colleges to stay out of politics

The poll, conducted by Vanderbilt University, comes as institutions are increasingly under fire from the Trump administration.

Education Department officially launches 2026-27 FAFSA form

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the rollout as the earliest in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid’s history. 

College admissions in a rapidly evolving world

Experts dug into diversity trends, college readiness indicators and more at the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s recent conference. 

Brown University to lay off 48 employees and eliminate 55 vacant roles

The Ivy League institution is making the cuts as part of a broader effort to shave $30 million from its budget. 

The difficult human work behind responsible AI use in college operations

Officials should carefully consider if an AI tool can actually address a problem — and then perform audits and error checks after it’s rolled out, experts said.

Southern Oregon University to cut 23 programs and lay off 18 employees

The public institution "is no longer a comprehensive university" and must pare down its academic offerings, according to a new board-approved plan.