Policy & Legal

Eastern Gateway president: Heightened Cash Monitoring 2 status ‘has no impact’ on students

Regulators added to the Ohio community college's administrative burdens this week, but nothing changed for students, President Michael Geoghegan said.

By Rick Seltzer • Aug. 10, 2022

Education Department often takes months to identify when a college closes, report finds

A Government Accountability Office report also discovered issues with outreach to student loan borrowers who could qualify for closed-school discharges.

By Rick Seltzer • Aug. 10, 2022

Seattle Pacific University says state attorney general’s investigation into hiring policies violates religious rights

This case and others may hasten a showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court between anti-discrimination employment laws and the First Amendment.

By Laurel Kalser • Aug. 9, 2022

Bill to rework Veterans Affairs 85-15 rule reporting passes Senate

The rule blocks Veterans Affairs benefits to students enrolled in programs in which more than 85% of attendees receive aid from a college or the VA.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 9, 2022

$6B borrower defense settlement gets tentative OK, but colleges can intervene

Additional colleges have until Aug. 25 to file motions to intervene in Sweet v. Cardona.

By Laura Spitalniak • Aug. 5, 2022

Republicans push alternative to Biden’s student loan forgiveness plans

The bill would end the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and block the education secretary from issuing rules that would increase government costs.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 5, 2022

Survey: 66% of adults say college doesn’t meet needs of today’s students

Specific efforts to increase access to college and make it more affordable polled better than the idea of general funding increases.

By Lilah Burke • Aug. 4, 2022

Columbia University sued by students alleging they were misled by potentially false U.S. News ranking data

The Ivy League institution said it would not participate in the forthcoming rankings amid allegations it provided the publication inaccurate information.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 3, 2022

New Jersey law creates gainful employment standards for career-oriented college programs

State regulators will calculate performance standards for these programs based on tuition rates and how much graduates earn.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 2, 2022

Biden’s proposed Title IX rule almost certain to find itself in legal crosshairs

A recent federal court decision blocking Education Department guidance on the anti-discrimination law portends trouble for the administration.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Aug. 1, 2022

Direct student loans cost $311B more than Education Department’s estimates, federal watchdog says

The program was supposed to create $114 billion in income but had an estimated price tag of $197 billion as of fiscal 2021.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 29, 2022

Eastern Gateway reverses course amid Pell Grant fight: No new free college students

Ohio community college can only use Pell funding for already-enrolled students amid questions of whether its free college program broke federal restrictions.

By Rick Seltzer • July 28, 2022

Republicans press Defense Department on plans for cutting ties with Confucius Institutes

Nearly 60 lawmakers raised concerns about federal funds going to colleges with ties to China in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

By Laura Spitalniak • July 27, 2022

Discrimination complaints involving colleges total over 3,000 in fiscal 2021, OCR says

The Education Department’s civil rights arm received more than 8,900 complaints in total, according to a newly released report.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 26, 2022

Ed Department proposes tightening 90/10 rule and monitoring nonprofit conversions

Agency says new rules would strengthen oversight of for-profit colleges and reduce student debt, accomplishing Biden administration goals.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 26, 2022

Supreme Court splits affirmative action cases, will issue separate rulings

The move allows the high court’s newest justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to take part in one of the cases.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 25, 2022

Last week's big number: 45,000 students

A recap of last week's major higher ed news starts with a merger between National and Northcentral universities.

By Higher Ed Dive Staff • July 25, 2022

Education Department delays regulatory plan on income-driven repayment

Release of the draft rule was supposed to coincide with other proposals, including one governing Pell Grants for incarcerated students.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 21, 2022

Feds block free college program at Eastern Gateway Community College

College leaders disagree with the move, which calls into question the Ohio community college's financial viability.

By Rick Seltzer • July 21, 2022

These legal issues should be on college business officers' radars

A panel at the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ annual meeting covered legal questions spanning many offices on campus.

By Rick Seltzer • July 21, 2022

Another bipartisan federal bill targets income-share agreements

Lawmakers for years have attempted to create rules for the controversial financial arrangements, which recent regulatory actions classified as loans.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • July 20, 2022

Education Department issues new guidance to prevent 'accreditation-shopping'

The policies could make it harder for colleges to switch accreditors and may clash with a new Florida law, experts say.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 20, 2022

These policies can rescue stranded credits and help colleges retain students

A new report rounds up state and institutional policies designed to help students regain full access to their credits.

By Laura Spitalniak • July 20, 2022

Court pushes back hearing over $6B borrower defense settlement

The delay comes after four institutions argued that the deal between the Education Department and student borrowers would harm their reputations.

By Natalie Schwartz • July 19, 2022

Here are the colleges receiving the last $198 million in coronavirus emergency relief

This searchable chart shows institution names and the funding amounts they will receive.

By Rick Seltzer • July 19, 2022