Policy & Legal


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    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
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    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 Feb. 13, 2025
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    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
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    $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 Feb. 13, 2025
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    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 Feb. 12, 2025
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    Kara Arundel/Higher Ed Dive
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    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
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    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 Updated Feb. 12, 2025
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    ‘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 Updated Feb. 11, 2025
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    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 Feb. 10, 2025
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    Kara Arundel/Higher Ed Dive
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    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
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    The image by Kaldari is licensed under CC BY 1.0
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    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 Feb. 7, 2025
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    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
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    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 Feb. 6, 2025
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    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
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    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 Updated Feb. 5, 2025
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    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 Feb. 5, 2025
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    Kara Arundel/Higher Ed Dive
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    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
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    ‘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 Feb. 4, 2025
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    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 Feb. 4, 2025
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    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 Feb. 3, 2025
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    Education Department will enforce 2020 Title IX rule

    A letter to colleges and K-12 schools says sex discrimination enforcement activities will only recognize two sexes — male and female.

    By Kara Arundel • Jan. 31, 2025
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    Accreditors brace for Trump’s promised higher ed shakeup

    At Council for Higher Education Accreditation's annual conference, sector leaders shared the policy shifts they're expecting under the new administration.

    By , Jan. 31, 2025
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    Higher education’s outlook for 2025

    We’re rounding up the trends, policy changes and legal shifts that college and university leaders could face in the year ahead. 

    By Jan. 31, 2025
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    Florida lawmakers pass bill to roll back in-state tuition for undocumented students

    But Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated he would not sign the sweeping legislative package, saying it "would actually weaken state immigration enforcement.”

    By Jan. 31, 2025
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    Deep Dive

    How 4 of Trump’s policy actions could impact higher education in 2025

    The new administration has undertaken a flurry of executive actions during its first two weeks that could bring major changes to the sector.

    By , , Jan. 31, 2025
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    Trump executive order targets DEI at military academies

    The directive also says the institutions should teach that “America and its founding documents remain the most powerful force for good in human history.”

    By Jan. 29, 2025