Iowa lawmakers mull anti-DEI bills for private and public colleges

State legislators are considering a flurry of proposals this year that would more tightly regulate the higher education sector, including classroom instruction. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 13, 2026

‘We’re now seeing the results’: Education Department officials tout FAFSA progress

Satisfaction is up and wait times are short, an agency official told the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators’ legislative conference.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 11, 2026

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

Accreditor takes North Idaho College off probation

The institution experienced years of leadership and governance turmoil. Now its enrollment is rising and operations are stabilizing, the college says.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 11, 2026

Trump secures legal victory on anti-DEI directives

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals let two executive orders stand that target diversity, equity inclusion in the higher education sector and elsewhere.

By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 10, 2026

Defense Department cuts academic ties with Harvard

The Pentagon no longer plans to sponsor studies of military service members at the Ivy League institution as the Trump administration presses its feud with the university.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 9, 2026

Federal judge dismisses antitrust allegations against top publishers

Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, Wiley, Sage Publications, Taylor & Francis, and Springer Nature scored a win for their peer review and submission policies.

By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 6, 2026

Lawsuit alleges Cornell ‘brazenly’ refused to consider White candidates for faculty job

Diversity, equity and inclusion administrators created an interview list consisting entirely of “minority” candidates, the complaint said.

By Kate Tornone • Feb. 6, 2026

Michigan free college program boosted adult enrollment, study finds

Community college campuses saw an average increase of 623 students due to the program, which seeks to help eligible adults get an associate degree.

By Jamaal Abdul-Alim • Feb. 4, 2026

Education Department doubles down on anti-DEI efforts

The agency said it would continue to target DEI programs “with or without” a policy letter that set its interpretation of Title VI but was blocked in court. 

By Naaz Modan • Feb. 4, 2026

Trump signs $79B education funding bill into law

The fiscal 2026 budget measure will fund the agency through Sept. 30, giving it about $217 million above the prior year’s funding level.

By Kara Arundel • Feb. 3, 2026

Education Department paid laid-off OCR staff $38M while dismissing most complaints

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the agency cannot prove the employee cuts improved services.

By Naaz Modan • Feb. 3, 2026

Penn undergoes another round of budget-tightening measures

The Ivy League institution directed leaders of its schools and centers to reduce “certain expenditures” by 4% amid federal policy headwinds.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 30, 2026

Accreditors brace for more change under the Trump administration

At the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s conference, leaders shared how they’re trying to chart a path forward amid political uncertainty. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Updated Jan. 30, 2026

The trends, policies and lawsuits that will shape higher ed in 2026

We’re rounding up our outlooks for the year ahead, with expert insight on what college leaders should be watching.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 30, 2026

4 policy trends that should be on college leaders’ radars in 2026

From accreditation to civil rights probes, we’re rounding up policy shifts we’ll be watching — and expert predictions on how they’ll unfold — for the year ahead. 

By Ben Unglesbee , Natalie Schwartz , Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 29, 2026

Texas governor pauses new H-1B visas at public colleges

Under Gov. Greg Abbott’s moratorium, colleges have until March 27 to fulfill state data requests about the workers they employ under the visa program.

By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 28, 2026

Nevada higher ed leaders approve hefty tuition hike for public colleges

The 8-5 vote by the state college system’s governing board will ultimately raise tuition by 12% at four-year institutions and 9% for two-year colleges.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 28, 2026

Education Department moves to overhaul accreditation regulations

The agency wants to make it easier for new accreditors to gain recognition and to curb diversity, equity and inclusion standards, per a Federal Register notice. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 27, 2026

5 higher ed lawsuits to watch in 2026

The Trump administration is at the center of major unfolding litigation, from efforts to cap overhead research funding to attacks on Harvard University.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 27, 2026

Week in review: A look back at higher ed under Trump 2.0’s first year

We’re rounding up last week’s stories, from pushback against President Donald Trump’s government in court to the latest congressional budget moves.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 26, 2026

Does Northwestern’s $75M Trump deal stifle speech?

First Amendment experts break down the free speech implications of the heavily scrutinized agreement to restore the university’s research funding. 

By David Weisenfeld • Jan. 26, 2026

Education Department halts effort to implement controversial anti-DEI letter

The agency dropped its appeal of a court ruling against guidance aimed at ending race-based programs in colleges and schools.

By Naaz Modan • Jan. 22, 2026

Florida proposal seeks 1-year pause on H-1B hires at public universities

The draft policy comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the state’s public university system to end what he described as “H-1B abuse.”

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 22, 2026

University of Pennsylvania rebuffs EEOC demand for employee records

The Ivy League institution said it is objecting to creating lists of workers that would “reveal their Jewish faith or ancestry” over safety and other concerns.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 22, 2026

Federal policy uncertainty is disrupting planning, college leaders say

Concerns loom large about institutional autonomy and long-term financial viability, an American Council on Education survey found.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 21, 2026