Top takeaways from OCR nominee’s Senate confirmation hearing

Kimberly Richey, the acting head of the Office for Civil Rights in the first Trump administration, addressed questions on higher caseloads, Title IX and more.

Top higher education conferences to attend in 2025

We’re rounding up a list of the remaining events this year to help college leaders and administrators plan the back half of their calendar.

Updated June 10, 2025

Trump administration appeals pause on Education Department cuts to SCOTUS

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that the agency’s efforts to reduce its workforce must stop while a lawsuit against it is argued.

Updated June 6, 2025

No more in-state tuition for undocumented students in Texas

A federal judge Wednesday signed off on a joint plan from the state and the U.S. Department of Justice to revoke the 24-year-old practice.

For-profit performing arts college in New York to close

The New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts said it had exhausted “every possible alternative” prior to the decision to wind down.

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

A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s proclamation seeking to bar international students heading to Harvard from entering the U.S.

Updated June 6, 2025

More teens lean toward alternative postsecondary options

Just 45% of students in grades 7-12 see a two- or four-year college as their most likely next step, a new survey found.

Updated June 5, 2025

University of Idaho abandons plan to acquire University of Phoenix

Faced with opposition from the beginning, the state university and for-profit college ended negotiations.

Cornish College of the Arts opens under Seattle University banner

A majority of Cornish's original employees and nongraduating students will return to its Washington campus in fall 2025, the university said Tuesday.

3 takeaways from McMahon’s testimony on Trump’s FY26 budget plan

The education secretary defended the proposed elimination of federal funding for TRIO and Gear Up despite bipartisan pushback from lawmakers.

Working-age adults with some college but no credential reaches 37.6M, report finds

However, more stopped-out students returned to college in the 2023-24 academic year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found.

‘Finally’: Keystone College completes merger with nonprofit

After a recent closure scare, the institution is continuing operations under the nonprofit Washington Institute for Education and Research. 

Week in review: Trump administration targets Chinese student visas

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from another crackdown on international students to a new lawsuit against the National Science Foundation.

FY26 budget plan would slash maximum Pell Grant by nearly a quarter

The Education Department's proposal would also radically reduce funding for Federal Work-Study and require a bigger employer contribution. 

Illinois lawmakers pass bill to establish direct admissions program

Participating public universities will set GPA standards each year for first-time and transfer students to gain automatic entry. 

Eastern Michigan University to cut ties with Chinese colleges amid lawmaker push

The institution is the latest to dissolve its partnerships after Republican legislators raised concerns about national security and research theft. 

Lawmakers and judge push back on Education Department’s gutting, citing inefficiency

The agency appealed the May 22 court order temporarily blocking its dramatic downsizing efforts the same day U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued it.

Trump administration to ‘aggressively revoke’ Chinese student visas

Two federal agencies will also increase scrutiny of new visa applications from China and Hong Kong, per Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

16 states sue National Science Foundation over wide-reaching research cuts

The lawsuit takes aim at the agency’s cap on indirect research costs and its mass termination of grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

College composting program turns cafeteria scraps to brown gold

Ohio University processes more than five tons of food waste daily, converting the scraps into compost used to fertilize campus plants or sold to neighbors. 

How accreditors are navigating a new, anxious environment under Trump

Officials from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation unpacked the current higher ed landscape, including attacks on diversity initiatives.

1 in 4 employers say they’ll eliminate degree requirements by year’s end

A majority of polled hiring managers also said their companies look at relevant experience over bachelor’s degrees during hiring decisions.

Trump administration moves to end Harvard University’s remaining federal contracts

Since mid-April, the federal government has cut off roughly $2.8 billion in multi-year grants and contracts to the Ivy League institution.

Penn State University’s board greenlights plan to close 7 campuses

A 25-8 vote sets in motion the plan to pare down the university’s commonwealth campuses to 13 after spring 2027.

Ed tech venture funding market continued to tighten in Q1

Just $410 million in venture capital was invested in the space so far in 2025, furthering a post-pandemic dip.