Most clicked story of the week
The U.S. Department of Education is warning students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid if they’ve expressed interest in colleges with relatively poor student earnings outcomes. The disclosure, based on College Scorecard data, is intended to "empower prospective students to make data-driven decisions before they are saddled with debt," according to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Number of the week: 3.6%
The increase in operating costs colleges saw in fiscal 2025, according to the Commonfund Institute's Higher Education Price Index. Inflation in the higher ed sector is "elevated above what many consider the norm," continuing a multiyear trend, per a new report from the institute.
Public colleges reduce academic offerings
- The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education this month voted to cut 41 academic programs and suspend an additional 21. The decision came after the board flagged almost 360 degrees for failing to meet state standards tied to enrollment and number of degrees awarded.
- The University of Nebraska System’s governing board voted to eliminate four programs at its flagship as part of a broader effort to close a multimillion-dollar deficit. University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty criticized the decision and accused the university’s leaders of acting too quickly and without transparency.
- The Universities of Wisconsin could review some 65 undergraduate programs — about 10% of its offerings — for potential elimination through a new framework. The process is meant to allow the system to more quickly evaluate and potentially discontinue undergraduate programs with low enrollment, officials said.
Private colleges pursue mergers and restructuring
- Willamette University and Pacific University are pursuing a merger that, if approved by regulators, would create the largest private university in Oregon. Leaders from the nonprofit institutions last week did not give a firm timeline but said they will spend the coming months establishing a definitive agreement and seeking regulatory approval.
- Martin University, in Indianapolis, announced that it would “pause operations” at the end of the month amid “financial and student enrollment challenges.” The private university's board chair, Joseph Perkins Jr., said trustees are working to minimize the disruption to students and find a sustainable path forward, but he did not say when they hope to resume classes.
- In Montana, the University of Providence declared financial exigency and said it may pursue "program realignment, administrative restructuring, staffing adjustments, and efficiency measures." The Catholic institution faces a multimillion-dollar deficit, according to the Montana Free Press.
Quote of the Week
This has never been about the student experience in or out of the classroom, which has remained exceptional. This has been about finances.
Jean Parvin Bordewich
President of Guilford College
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges removed Guilford College from probation after representatives from the private North Carolina institution pleaded their case this month before the accreditor. Bordewich cited significant improvements in Guilford's financial management and operations, and the college reported a balanced budget for both fiscal 2025 and the current fiscal year thus far.
