Ed Dept ends competency-based education experiments

The decision could affect more than a dozen institutions that had waivers in order to receive federal aid for their programs. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Dec. 17, 2019

Colleges heighten scrutiny of donors in new era of gift vetting

Institutions are reckoning with backlash from accepting money from a family in the spotlight for its role in the opioid epidemic.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 16, 2019

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, coursework and elsewhere.

By Higher Ed Dive staff

For community colleges, free college has its costs

Early examples of what's become a wildly popular proposal among Democratic presidential hopefuls show students and schools need more support.

By Liz Farmer • Dec. 11, 2019

Ed Dept flags compliance issues with troubled accreditor ACICS

Officials are again questioning whether the agency is meeting federal standards after Secretary Betsy DeVos restored its recognition last year.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 10, 2019

College leaders walk a thinning legal tightrope on free speech

Indiana University's provost denounced a professor's problematic views, showing how higher ed must balance civil liberties and inclusivity.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 9, 2019

Report examines how colleges use income-share agreements

"ISAs are neither a panacea nor perilous, and the devil is in the details," says a new report by the Philadelphia Fed on the emerging financing tool.

By Hallie Busta • Dec. 5, 2019

Affluent students borrowing more for college, report finds

The analysis comes as colleges add aid for middle- and higher-income students, and it brings a new angle to discussion of free college and debt forgiveness.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 5, 2019

Cory Booker proposes $100B for HBCUs

The presidential hopeful joins several other Democratic candidates who have promised big investments in historically black colleges and universities. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Dec. 3, 2019

Report: College credit ratings hold despite growing scrutiny 'spotlight'

Effective risk-management strategies have helped colleges navigate crises with their financial position mostly intact, S&P analysts note.

By Hallie Busta • Dec. 3, 2019

Despite closure fears, enrollment holds steady at private nonprofit colleges

A new analysis suggests students are still finding seats at these schools, despite financial woes for some that are smaller and humanities-focused.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 2, 2019

When should a college say it might close?

A new Massachusetts law illustrates the difficulty of monitoring schools in financial distress, but it may be a model for other states with similar issues. 

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 22, 2019

Ed Dept makes student debt, earnings data searchable by program

The College Scorecard's update reflects a bipartisan push to collect better data on how people fare after earning a credential, but some say it has limitations.

By Hallie Busta • Nov. 20, 2019

Report: Higher ed's regulatory 'triad' needs an overhaul

The three entities that oversee U.S. colleges and universities are failing millions of students, the think tank New America contends.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 20, 2019

Poll: 52% of young adult voters support Trump's impeachment

But members of this increasingly influential voting block are divided when it comes to how to address major issues.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 18, 2019

At women's colleges, rules vary widely for trans and nonbinary students

Although the schools have opened to these marginalized groups, a wide range of policies is creating confusion.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 18, 2019

Fewer international students head to US for 3rd-straight year

A trade war with China and unwelcoming visa policies likely played a role in the declines, which could hurt colleges' bottom lines. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 18, 2019

DeVos pushes alternative credentials, flexibility in speech to business leaders

The education secretary contended that high school students have been pushed to attend traditional colleges at the expense of the workforce. 

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 13, 2019

Report: Tuition revenue growth slows at public, private colleges

Nearly two-thirds of public institutions don't expect net tuition revenue to grow by more than 3% in 2020, while discount rates climb at private schools.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 11, 2019

DACA students’ future hinges on an argument about procedure

Colleges have rallied around the program, whose future was argued before the Supreme Court Tuesday in a legal challenge that could be protracted.

By Daniel C. Vock • Nov. 11, 2019

Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity splits from national group over student safety concerns

The fraternity said the North American Interfraternity Conference isn't doing enough to address underage drinking and alcohol abuse on campus.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 11, 2019

Ed Dept loosens requirements for academic term lengths

The changes will make it easier for programs with shorter or longer terms than traditional semesters and quarters to disburse federal aid.

By Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 7, 2019

Higher ed groups push back on Ed Dept's foreign gift reporting proposals

Thirty organizations say the department's changes could require colleges to disclose every foreign donation they receive.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 7, 2019

Ed Dept issues final rules on accreditation and state authorization

Critics say the rules, which are mostly unchanged from their draft form, will reduce oversight on colleges and universities and potentially harm students. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 31, 2019

5 college Title IX lawsuits to watch

These recent cases stand to change the way colleges adjudicate the controversial federal sex discrimination law.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 29, 2019

Civil rights groups sue U of California over SAT, ACT requirement

Their argument, that the tests discriminate against certain student groups, comes as more colleges drop the requirement.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Dec. 10, 2019