Kentucky lawmakers seek to weaken tenure, restrict DEI

A pair of wide-ranging proposals revived versions of previous bills that failed to gain enough traction in the 2024 legislative session.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 20, 2025

Colleges tighten budgets amid NIH funding uncertainty

From hiring freezes to spending cuts, research universities are trying to manage their finances amid a fluid and harrowing situation.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 20, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial Intelligence

As AI continues its forward march in education and the workplace, colleges are grapplling with how best to incorporate the emerging technology into admissions, courrsework and elsewhere

By Higher Ed Dive staff

Court declines to block DOGE from accessing Education Department data

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee, said the student group failed to show it faced “irreparable harm” without emergency relief. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 18, 2025

‘Another twisting of civil rights law’: Free speech group pans Education Department’s DEI guidance

The guidance threatens to pull federal funding from colleges that consider race in any of their programs and policies — not just admissions.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 18, 2025

12 Trump moves in 4 weeks: What college leaders need to know

The new administration has implemented several policies that have sparked outcry from university researchers and student advocates. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 18, 2025

Want to measure how much college graduates make? Timing matters.

Associate and bachelor’s degree holders have similar earnings right after graduation, but the differences widen over time, research finds. 

By Lilah Burke • Feb. 18, 2025

3 takeaways from Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing

Trump's nominee to lead the Education Department faced questions about the agency’s future, Title IX enforcement and antisemitism on college campuses.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 14, 2025

Ohio Senate passes bill to ban DEI and faculty strikes at public colleges

The legislation would also establish post-tenure reviews and require all instructors to share their contact information and syllabi publicly.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 13, 2025

$50K threshold for college foreign gift reporting passes House panel

The bill would lower the reporting floor from $250,000 and require a waiver for colleges to enter contracts with “countries of concern” like China and Russia.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 13, 2025

The latest roundup of DEI cuts across the country

From liberal arts colleges to massive public flagships, institutions of all kinds are moving to comply with changing federal expectations.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 12, 2025

Cancellation of Education Department research contracts sparks concerns

The department didn’t provide a list of canceled contracts but said NAEP, the College Scorecard and the College Navigator were not impacted.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 11, 2025

DOGE temporarily blocked from accessing Education Department student aid data

In a lawsuit, the University of California Student Association alleged that the “scale of intrusion into individuals’ privacy is enormous and unprecedented.”

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Feb. 24, 2025

‘Self-inflicted wound’: Widespread alarm as Trump administration slashes NIH funding

A federal judge issued orders blocking the National Institutes of Health from enforcing its new 15% cap on indirect research costs.

By Ben Unglesbee • Updated Feb. 11, 2025

Legacy admissions tumbled dramatically over past decade

The share of four-year institutions considering an applicant's family ties to an alum has dropped by half since 2015, Education Reform Now found. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 10, 2025

Education Department’s doors blocked to House Democrats

The lawmakers want to meet with a senior official over concerns about the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the department's responsibilities.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 7, 2025

Tennessee State University could run out of cash this spring without help

The struggling HBCU is dependent on state money to survive — but is also owed money by Tennessee, the Biden administration had said.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 7, 2025

Democratic leaders demand details on DOGE access to Education Department

The lawmakers want details, including who in the Elon Musk-led agency has access to sensitive data and the steps taken to protect that information.

By Roger Riddell • Feb. 6, 2025

Education Department opens Title IX probes following anti-trans order

The agency said it is investigating San José State University, the University of Pennsylvania and a middle and high school athletics association. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 6, 2025

Lawmakers weigh solutions to poor academic performances and college debt

House Republicans touted school choice and alternative career pathways as Democrats vowed to protect the U.S. Department of Education.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 5, 2025

Trump signs executive order barring transgender students from women’s sports

During the signing ceremony, the president warned colleges and K-12 schools that they could lose federal funding if they don’t comply.

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Feb. 5, 2025

Pell Grant program projected to end fiscal 2025 with $2.7B deficit

The funding shortfall could eventually threaten recipients’ eligibility or benefits, one student advocacy group warned.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 5, 2025

Expected Trump order on Education Department’s future rattles advocates

Since congressional approval is needed to shut down the agency, experts say the more likely scenario is a combination of budget cuts and restructuring.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 4, 2025

‘In the United States, there is no king’: AAUP sues Trump over attacks on DEI

The lawsuit alleges that President Donald Trump's orders overstep his authority, use overly vague language and intend to chill speech he opposes.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 4, 2025

Higher ed sees 4.3% jump in state funding for FY2025

Support for institutions is up by a third from five years ago, according to early data from the annual Grapevine report.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 4, 2025

Hegseth bars ‘race-based’ admissions goals, DEI curriculum at military academies

The three colleges under the U.S. Department of Defense are also banned from teaching "gender ideology," as defined by recent executive orders.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 3, 2025