Most clicked story of the week:
Higher education experts and advocates are sounding the alarm following the enactment of Republicans' massive spending package. The day before President Donald Trump signed the law, the American Council on Education predicted it would "carry significant negative consequences for campuses and students," while the head of The Institute for College Access & Success said the bill "can only be described as one big mistake."
Number of the week: 3.2%
The year-over-year increase in college enrollment in spring 2025, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Higher Ed Dive broke down some of the most notable trends from the clearinghouse's data in three easy charts.
A new accreditor moves forward:
The State University System of Florida’s governing board on Friday voted to approve the creation of a new accrediting agency, for which the system would be one of six founding members. The Commission for Public Higher Education intends to begin accrediting colleges by next June and gain the U.S. Department of Education's seal of approval by June 2028, according to its business plan.
The budgetary effect of federal turbulence:
- Boston University plans to lay off 120 staff members, some 1% of its workforce, amid a 5% overall reduction to its budget. The private nonprofit will also leave another 120 vacant positions unfilled. University leaders cited financial pressure caused by the Trump administration's cuts to research funding and threats of further withdrawal of federal resources, as well as rising costs in the sector.
- Less than a mile from the White House, George Washington University is also bracing for more budget woes under Trump. The private nonprofit froze hiring until at least the end of September and warned of possible layoffs. Like Boston University, leaders at GWU cited federal funding destabilization, including the Trump administration's efforts to cap indirect research funding.
Quote of the week:
When an institution — no matter how prestigious — abandons its mission and fails to protect its students, it forfeits the legitimacy that accreditation is designed to uphold.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kennedy, along with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, notified Harvard University’s accrediting agency of “strong evidence to suggest” the Ivy League institution no longer meets its accreditation standards and said the accreditor must keep the federal government "fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance."
