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 -
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 -
Explore the Trendline➔
MF3d via Getty ImagesTrendlineArtificial 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 -
$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. 12, 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 -
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 -
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 Ben Unglesbee , Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 31, 2025 -
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 Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 31, 2025 -
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 Laura Spitalniak • Jan. 31, 2025 -
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 Natalie Schwartz , Laura Spitalniak , Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 31, 2025 -
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 Natalie Schwartz • Jan. 29, 2025