With badges, colleges take a hard look at teaching soft skills

Employer demand for new hires with skills like critical thinking has pushed colleges to find ways to show that students have those abilities.

By Shailaja Neelakantan • July 26, 2019

Report: Limited data on short-term programs vying for Pell dollars

As momentum grows in favor of federal funding for shorter programs, challenges persist in vetting their number, nature and student outcomes. 

By Hallie Busta • July 26, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Enrollment and Retention

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

By Higher Ed Dive staff

Can colleges and prisons support more Second Chance Pell?

As momentum to formally expand the program grows, college officials and corrections officers discuss barriers to implementation.

By Wayne D'Orio • July 25, 2019

Colleges find workaround for international students affected by visa delays

Several institutions are using a work authorization program that doesn't need federal approval to help international students get jobs and internships.

By Shailaja Neelakantan • July 25, 2019

3 ways colleges can prepare the workforce for automation

Higher ed's role in the economic shift includes bringing transparency to credentials and offering new opportunities to return to school.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 25, 2019

Are free college programs hurting four-year schools?

Data from two of the earliest programs suggests the effect is minimal, but universities could benefit from recalibrating their support and transfer services.

By Wayne D'Orio • July 24, 2019

Report highlights impact of student loans on black borrowers

Black students take on more debt at higher rates, which a new report suggests can be alleviated through key policy changes around oversight.

By Shailaja Neelakantan • July 24, 2019

U of Alaska surveys options after declaring financial exigency

The board of regents is considering whether to proportionally distribute cuts or to merge the system's three universities to reduce overhead.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 23, 2019

Report alleges Ed Dept helped prop up failing Dream Center

Lawmakers say the agency was changing its accreditation policy to benefit the struggling operator, but the agency says it was already working on the change.

By Hallie Busta • July 23, 2019

Elizabeth Warren proposes bill to cut $640B in student debt

The legislation would also give private borrowers a federal loan refinancing option, making them eligible for forgiveness under the plan.

By Hallie Busta • July 23, 2019

Lessons from managing a startup university's 'chaos' stage

U of California, Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland, who will step down next month, looks back on eight years at the head of a fast-growing university.

By Hallie Busta • July 22, 2019

Summer reading: Colleges find new ways to help students put their education to work

Institutions are demonstrating value by connecting skills learned in class to those needed on the job and offering new credentials to chart progress.

By Hallie Busta • July 22, 2019

Colleges fear losing international students over visa delays

Dozens of institutions have urged the government to expedite the approval process in order to stem the loss of foreign students. 

By Shailaja Neelakantan • July 19, 2019

'Small resurgence' in private student loan market as tuition rises, lenders relax

Rising college costs and more flexible terms are reviving interest in private loans, though they're mostly limited to higher-income students. 

By Hallie Busta • July 19, 2019

Ed Dept: Security threat likely not tied to Ellucian vulnerability

But the agency said its review of a potential threat has led to "broader concern" about the security of colleges' front-end registration portals. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Aug. 7, 2019

Report: Growth in graduates' starting salaries stays stagnant in 2018

However, bachelor's degrees continue to pay off in the job market, a key benefit for colleges to communicate to students.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 18, 2019

For-profit colleges get outsized share of GI Bill benefits

A new government report examining the sector's impact on veterans comes amid growing pressure to limit how for-profits use those funds.

By Hallie Busta • July 18, 2019

Ed Dept, colleges disagree on clarity of foreign gift reporting rules

The American Council on Education suggested the agency undergo a formal rulemaking process on how colleges disclose funding from other countries.

By Shailaja Neelakantan • July 17, 2019

Bipartisan bill would set framework for income-share agreements

Use of the financing model is growing, though critics are concerned it isn't materially different from loans and could heighten students' financial burden.

By Hallie Busta • July 17, 2019

Colleges expand esports programs to keep pace with growing industry

Online gaming is poised to generate $1.1 billion in revenue globally this year, spurring colleges to add curricula teaching students how to work in the field.

By Julie Wootton-Greener • July 17, 2019

Pay grows for public colleges' top leaders in 2018

Institutions have come under fire for raising executives' compensation as tuition continues to climb. 

By Natalie Schwartz • July 16, 2019

Should community colleges offer bachelor's degrees?

Early research on the impact of two-year colleges offering four-year degrees is promising, suggesting doing so could help address the skills gap.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 16, 2019

Comments close on Ed Dept's accreditation rules, but opposition remains

Student and teacher advocacy groups are calling for the department to hold a public hearing on the final rules, which they say is required by law.

By Hallie Busta • July 16, 2019

Educational intelligence begins with connecting campus data

As ed tech begins breaking down campus data silos, the educational intelligence system is emerging.

By Kevin Michielsen, Chief Executive Officer, Watermark • July 16, 2019

House passes amendment raising scrutiny of for-profit colleges' military benefits

Although the legislation lacks clear teeth, observers say the information it gathers would be critical to the continued oversight of for-profit colleges.

By Shailaja Neelakantan • July 15, 2019