Higher Ed

Common App data shows applications are up, but only for some colleges

Submissions to larger and more selective universities drove the increase, and certain student demographics are still lagging.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 26, 2021

Rural counties would be economically devastated if their public colleges closed: report

Unemployment would skyrocket in certain areas without these institutions, the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges found.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 26, 2021

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Trendline

Enrollment and Retention

A look at the pandemic's impact on enrollment and how colleges can ensure students stay on course.

By Higher Ed Dive staff

Kansas universities have more leeway to fire tenured faculty. Will they use it?

Some fear shared governance is being left behind as colleges respond to pandemic-related revenue losses with deep cuts.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 25, 2021

What colleges should know about herd immunity

Health experts predict schools will need to continue safety measures into the fall, especially given the vaccine's slow rollout.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 25, 2021

Ed Dept staff recommend terminating recognition of troubled accreditor ACICS

The decision will be discussed by an oversight group next month. It follows years of concern about the agency's oversight abilities.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 23, 2021

Bill would make Colorado's test-optional policies permanent

The anticipated proposal comes as many colleges stopped requiring applicants to submit SAT and ACT scores during the pandemic.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 22, 2021

Biden releases plan to help colleges reopen and conduct vaccine outreach

Colleges are "natural partners" to the federal government in its vaccination efforts, the new administration's proposal states.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 22, 2021

Activist investors urge Adtalem to pull plug on Walden U purchase

Two firms suggested the company use a recent federal probe into the for-profit college as a reason to walk away from the $1.5 billion deal.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 21, 2021

Colleges head into the spring with varying coronavirus testing strategies

Some schools are testing students frequently while others are using wastewater and contact tracing to target their resources.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 21, 2021

Biden's sex discrimination order likely a precursor to Title IX changes

The president affirmed that gender identity and sexual orientation should be protected under certain federal laws, following recent court precedent.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 21, 2021

Q&A

Why a new research group wants to bust regional college myths

"They can't do anything if we continue to undercut them," said Kevin McClure, a higher ed professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 20, 2021

Community colleges dropped test scores for class placements amid pandemic: report

Researchers examined several schools and systems that moved away from using standardized exams to determine college readiness.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 20, 2021

How Biden's immigration plan would affect colleges

He is expected to unveil a bill Wednesday that could create a more welcoming environment for unauthorized and international students.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 19, 2021

College Board drops SAT subject tests, essay

The entrance exam provider partly credited its decision to the pandemic, which has escalated the test-optional movement.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 19, 2021

Grand Canyon U takes nonprofit fight to the courts as Biden presidency nears

The for-profit college said it plans to sue the U.S. Department of Education over its 2019 decision to reject its status change request.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 15, 2021

Biden proposes $35B in coronavirus relief for colleges

The vast majority of the funding would only be for public institutions, however.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • UPDATED: Jan. 15, 2021 at 5:40 p.m.

In a year without admissions tests, elite college applications balloon

More than 100,000 students applied to NYU this year. But experts say such schools are outliers and other data shows a more complex landscape.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 14, 2021

Ed Dept releases more than $21B in coronavirus relief for colleges

It also published how much each school is allocated. Those that got funding in the last round don't need to apply for the latest aid to receive it.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 14, 2021

5 HBCU funding trends to watch in 2021

Many of these schools recently benefited from large gifts and the latest round of coronavirus relief, but challenges remain.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 14, 2021

More Black students enroll in HBCUs following hate crime reports: study

Recent research has documented a rise in prejudicial episodes, but this one links them to where Black students choose to go to college.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 13, 2021

U of California groups recommend Smarter Balanced test to replace SAT, ACT

Officials were mulling whether the system could create a new entrance exam by 2025.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 13, 2021

Another study links college campus reopenings and local coronavirus outbreaks

The researchers examined 30 schools, around half of which saw cases spike within the first two weeks of fall classes.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 13, 2021

Which states are giving college workers early access to the COVID-19 vaccine?

The timing on eligibility for non-healthcare workers varies, though a new shift away from the current distribution system could expand access.

By Hallie Busta • Jan. 12, 2021

Ed Dept urges Senate leaders to scrutinize colleges' foreign ties

Higher education groups continue to seek clarity about institutions' obligations to report such gifts and contracts.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 11, 2021

New York Gov. Cuomo pitches priority college admission for nurses

The proposal comes as the U.S. healthcare system grapples with nursing shortages while battling the pandemic.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 11, 2021