Policy & Legal

U of Florida can't control professors' participation in lawsuits, judge rules

A preliminary injunction means the institution currently can't enforce a controversial conflict-of-interest policy that spurred three academics to sue.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 21, 2022

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will examine private student lending

The CFPB will look at practices like colleges restricting enrollment for students behind on loan payments and accelerating payments for those who withdraw.

By Rick Seltzer • Jan. 20, 2022

Former Kentucky State president sues financially embattled university for $270K severance

M. Christopher Brown II alleges he was forced to resign, but the university argues he breached his contract by mismanaging the budget. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 18, 2022

Student loan giant Navient inks $1.85B settlement over fraud claims

The company will cancel the student loan debt of about 66,000 borrowers in an agreement with 39 state attorneys general.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 13, 2022

6 higher education lawsuits to watch in 2022

We're keeping an eye on cases including a challenge to affirmative action that could reach the Supreme Court and alleged price fixing by wealthy colleges.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 11, 2022

Top-ranked colleges illegally conspire to limit financial aid offers, lawsuit alleges

Five former students say 16 selective colleges violated antitrust laws, artificially raising the price of attendance and favoring wealthy students.

By Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 10, 2022

New York's governor shares ambitious new vision for SUNY

The plan calls for boosting enrollment to 500,000 students but could pit newly designated flagships against others in the 64-campus system.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 6, 2022

Legislation would create new routes for sexual assault survivors to sue U of Michigan

A proposal would open a 30-day window for students abused by a former sports doctor to file lawsuits beyond the statute of limitations.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 6, 2022

Government encouraged to step up on college accountability

Simply providing data about student outcomes won't overcome the higher education market's failures, an education policy expert argues.

By Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 5, 2022

Bates College fights federal labor board's decision on union vote

The liberal arts institution says that nontenured faculty shouldn't be grouped together with staff, who have different interests.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 5, 2022

7 higher education trends to watch in 2022

Politics bleeding into college operations, new regulatory action, continued expansion of online ed and more are stories we'll be following in 2022.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Jan. 4, 2022

What happened when one campus flip-flopped on mask mandates

To faculty, on-again off-again requirements at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville looked like sinking time and resources into pleasing lawmakers.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 22, 2021

Arizona scholarship to start covering tuition for low-income students attending 4-year universities

The promise program is meant to boost college enrollment in a state where just 17% of current 9th graders are on pace to have four-year degrees by 2029.

By Laura Spitalniak • Updated Dec. 23, 2021

Ed Dept expects to issue Title IX proposal in April 2022, displeasing advocates

The Biden administration moved up the release date by a month, but survivor advocates call for more steps to change enforcement in the meantime.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Dec. 13, 2021

U of Florida faculty leaders, president hammer out deal to protect free speech

An agreement comes after the university tried to block three professors from participating in a lawsuit against the state, prompting them to sue.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Dec. 10, 2021

New federal legislation aims to strengthen public transit for colleges

A bipartisan proposal would authorize grant funding for institutions to help improve transportation and subsidize student costs.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 23, 2021

National AAUP condemns bill to end tenure at South Carolina public colleges

The faculty group deemed the bill "misguided" and said it would irreparably damage the educational quality of the University of South Carolina system.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Dec. 2, 2021

Labor complaint against NCAA sets stage for fight over college athlete unionization

An advocacy group says the NCAA interferes with labor laws and student-athletes' union rights.

By Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 18, 2021

Inside higher education's ransomware crisis: How colleges and universities can fight back

Ransomware has exploded into a full-blown global crisis, striking across countries and industries indiscriminately.

By Dan Schiappa, Chief Product Officer, Sophos • Nov. 15, 2021

Biden plan draws wide ire for excluding for-profit colleges from Pell increase

The spending package breaks from tradition of federal student aid being available across sectors.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 10, 2021

79 House Democrats call for Ed Dept guidance on surveys gauging campus sexual violence

Reviews should be standardized and conducted every other year, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 10, 2021

3 more U of Florida professors sign on to lawsuit over academic freedom

Three additional faculty members say they were blocked from participating in court cases.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Nov. 16, 2021

Community college bachelor's degrees gain traction, report finds

Seven states allowed two-year colleges to offer bachelor's degrees in the past five years alone. In-demand fields like nursing lead the way.

By Natalie Schwartz • Nov. 8, 2021

With Biden mandates looming, what can colleges do in states that limit vaccine requirements?

The legal landscape is still uncertain as the White House works to formalize more of its COVID-19 vaccine policies.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 28, 2021

AAU takes aim at 'pass the harasser' with new principles on sexual misconduct

The nonbinding guidance focuses on how universities should share information about alleged sexual abuse during hiring processes.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 26, 2021