The Latest

  • A close-up shot of Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking at a podium with an American flag as the backdrop.
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    Florida university system’s board to vote on creation of accrediting agency

    The Commission for Public Higher Education’s business plan reveals officials are aiming for the new agency to accredit colleges by June 2026.

  • SCOTUS Chevron deference, Corner Post
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    Kevin Dietsch / Staff via Getty Images
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    Will the next Supreme Court term close the transgender athletic debate?

    A pair of cases could establish precedent on whether transgender student athletes can compete on teams aligned with their gender identity.

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    Kayla Bartkowski / Staff via Getty Images
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    ‘One big mistake’: Higher ed sounds warning over GOP budget law

    From higher endowment taxes to student loan limits, colleges and students will face a dramatically new landscape with the passage of a new spending law.

  • he U.S. flag and Department of Education flags whip in the wind outside the department's headquarters
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Trump’s OCR steps up pace for dismissing complaints

    With newly limited staffing, the federal office charged with protecting students’ civil rights has increased its case dismissals — to the alarm of former employees.

  • Students are sitting at several tables working in groups. There are laptops and notebooks on the tables and the tables are pushed to a wall of windows.
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    3 charts that tell the story of spring 2025 enrollment

    Recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed which cohorts are driving the sector's slow-moving recovery from the pandemic.

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    Retrieved from Harrier233 / Wikimedia Commons.
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    15 Florida colleges keep access to grant funding after House bid fails

    A proposal from the Florida House would have restricted private colleges' eligibility for the popular Effective Access to Student Education program.

  • JD Vance walks out of a metal detector at the U.S. Capitol.
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    Al Drago via Getty Images
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    What’s inside the Senate megabill for higher education?

    The chamber narrowly passed its version of the sweeping domestic policy package, which would reshape federal student lending. 

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    The image by Robert Couse-Baker is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Deep Dive

    How many colleges and universities have closed since 2016?

    At least two colleges abruptly shuttered at the end of spring 2025. Even more announced their intention to close or turned to acquisitions to stay afloat.

    Updated April 25, 2025
  • Gates on Indiana University's Bloomington campus.
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    Nicholas Klein via Getty Images
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    Indiana public colleges to shed or consolidate over 400 degree programs

    The dramatic restructuring comes in response to a statute that aims to end programs that produce low numbers of graduates over a three-year period. 

  • Saint Dominic Chapel, Siena Heights University, 1247 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan
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    The image by Dwight Burdette is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    Siena Heights University to close after coming academic year

    The 105-year-old Catholic nonprofit in Michigan concluded it was “no longer feasible” to continue operating.

  • Construction worker walking on the campus of Yale University
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    Alexander Farnsworth via Getty Images
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    Yale pauses 10 construction projects as funding worries grow

    Several universities are reassessing their capital plans due to rising costs and uncertain federal support.

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    Wolterk via Getty Images
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    Brown University preps for ‘significant cost-cutting’ amid federal funding disruption

    The Ivy League institution's top officials signaled possible staff reductions along with scaled back capital spending and other measures.

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    TriggerPhoto via Getty Images
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    HHS accuses Harvard of violating antidiscrimination law after antisemitism probe

    The latest salvo from the Trump administration threatens "the loss of all federal financial resources.”

  • University of Virginia
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    Joel Carillet via Getty Images
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    ‘Outrageous’: Democratic lawmakers speak out against UVA president’s forced resignation

    Jim Ryan abruptly stepped down following reports that the U.S. Department of Justice was pressuring him to resign over the university’s diversity efforts.

  • Neutel, Stanford, building management system, energy efficiency
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    Sundry Phorography via Getty Images
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    Stanford University expects layoffs in coming year

    The private nonprofit is cutting $140 million from its budget as it grapples with “significant budget consequences” from federal policy shifts.

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    EvgeniiAnd/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
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    Column // Merger Watch

    How can college officials know if they’re ready to lead ‘Big Scary Change’?

    They should consider if they hold views counter to successfully leading an institution through a merger or acquisition, one consolidation expert says.

  • Close-up of Ron DeSantis
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    6 public university systems unveil plans to launch new accrediting agency

    In his announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed the current system as an "accreditation cartel" and decried diversity standards at accreditors.

  • an exterior view of the US Capitol building
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Key higher ed provisions in reconciliation bill violate Senate rules, official finds

    Expanding Pell Grants to short-term programs and consolidating student loan programs were among the proposals flagged by the chamber’s parliamentarian.

  • Dome of capitol building, with gold decorations, seen through tree branches
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    Stephen Maturen via Getty Images
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    DOJ sues Minnesota over in-state tuition for undocumented students

    The move follows similar lawsuits against Kentucky and Texas as the Trump administration targets laws that states have had on their books for years.

  • A student raises their hand during a college lecture.
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    Drazen Zigic via Getty Images
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    How one Ohio initiative is boosting degree attainment for community college students

    An eight-year study found 46% of students in a program with intensive advising and financial support earned a degree, compared to 31% who didn’t participate.

  • A group of students walk together on a sidewalk on a college campus.
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    Jacob Wackerhausen via Getty Images
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    Persistence and retention rates hit some of their highest levels in nearly a decade

    Over 86% of first-year students returned to college in the spring, according to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

  • The outside of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. is shown on a close day. People are walking on the sidewalk in front of the building.
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    John M. Chase via Getty Images
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    Federal judge orders OCR to reinstate laid-off employees — for now

    The reduction in force left the office "incapable of addressing the vast majority" of complaints, the ruling said.

  • University welcome sign.
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    The image by Jimmy Emerson is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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    University of Connecticut eyes workforce cuts to manage funding shortfalls

    Faced with cuts to state and federal funding, leaders are clamping down on hiring and reviewing temporary positions, along with other austerity measures.

  • The entrance to the National Science Foundation's building.
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    JHVEPhoto via Getty Images
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    Judge strikes down National Science Foundation’s 15% funding cap for research overhead

    With the new ruling, efforts to cap research overhead reimbursement have now been blocked at four federal agencies. 

  • A college student walks through campus with headphones on.
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    Mario Tama / Staff via Getty Images
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    Tuition discounts at private nonprofits continue to climb, estimates show

    Colleges have been giving larger aid packages to greater shares of students, the National Association of College and University Business Officers found.