Policy & Legal

A Mississippi think tank calls for a 'diversity of thought' audit at public colleges. Will it gain traction with lawmakers?

The group suggests firing administrators and faculty and withholding funding from institutions found to violate state law.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 14, 2021

Georgia's higher ed system OKs new tenure policies. Faculty fear they will harm the treasured concept.

The changes, which could make it easier for tenured faculty members to be dismissed, have sparked protests.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 13, 2021

University's lawsuit seeks to bill insurer for coronavirus-related losses

Johnson & Wales U says it absorbed millions of dollars of losses that should be covered under commercial property and business interruption insurance.

By Rick Seltzer • Oct. 12, 2021

Appeals court won't let Western Michigan enforce vaccine mandate for athletes claiming religious exemptions

The university likely violated students' rights, judges found, refusing to overturn an injunction.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 08, 2021

FTC threatens hefty penalties against for-profit colleges for false claims, warning 70 schools

The Federal Trade Commission told colleges it can seek as much as $43,792 per violation, sending "a decisive message to the industry at large."

By Rick Seltzer • Oct. 06, 2021

Deep Dive

Low census counts rattle college towns

As population tallies roll out, campuses and city halls worry a census interrupted by COVID-19 could choke available public dollars.

By Daniel C. Vock • Oct. 04, 2021

Sponsored by Mongoose

Using texts to support students through COVID-19

Students won't ask for help, but they will respond to your text.

Student-athletes can now earn big off their celebrity. A new bill would tax their scholarships.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr introduced legislation that would affect players earning more than $20,000 annually through endorsements and other deals.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 01, 2021

Nearly all loans canceled through closed-school program were for students who went to for-profit colleges

A government watchdog also found that many students whose debt was automatically discharged had been struggling financially.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 30, 2021

Q&A

Can colleges compete with companies like Coursera?

Arthur Levine discusses how trends like personalized education are unfolding, what's driving them, and what can go right or wrong for colleges.

By Rick Seltzer • Sept. 28, 2021

Nebraska judge refuses to block Creighton University COVID-19 vaccine requirement

Students said the vaccines conflict with their anti-abortion values, but Creighton historically hasn't granted exemptions for religious reasons.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 28, 2021

Kentucky State says it needs emergency funding to make it past spring

The HBCU's finances are in a dire state due to years of missteps, an official told lawmakers.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 27, 2021

Deep Dive

What student safeguards are needed if Congress expands Pell to short-term programs?

Recent research found the payoff for short-term Pell offerings varies widely, but some policymakers think they can work with the right precautions.

By Daniel C. Vock • Sept. 27, 2021

9 AAUP conferences urge Congress to add colleges to Biden's vaccine mandate

Some of the groups are located in conservative Southern states where laws have limited the coronavirus countermeasures that schools can take.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 24, 2021

California sets aside $500M to grow affordable housing for students

Lawmakers are hoping to address the housing crunch as well as cap rent for low-income students.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 20, 2021

Report: Federal income-driven repayment 'built to be a debt trap'

The system meant to help some borrowers actually burdens them in some cases, according to the Student Borrower Protection Center.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 20, 2021

New Jersey governor signs college cost transparency law

The legislation builds on an earlier measure passed in 2019.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 17, 2021

What the University System of Georgia's tenure proposal could mean

One faculty member called the changes an attack on the tenure system, though others are withholding their judgment until they see how they're carried out. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 16, 2021

Appeals court orders Southeastern Oklahoma State University to rehire transgender professor, with tenure

Judges rejected an argument that reinstatement would be impossible because of hostility between the two sides.

By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 14, 2021

Senate confirms James Kvaal to Ed Dept's top higher ed post

The nomination had been held up by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was demanding the Biden administration rework the federal student loan system.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 14, 2021

House Democrats press for speedy release of Title IX proposal

"Students cannot wait much longer for the Department to restore their civil rights," Congressional members said to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 14, 2021

Column

Is Biden's vaccine mandate legal? It doesn't matter.

The administration has decided the economic and public health benefits of a requirement are worth the risk of a judicial defeat later.

By Kate Tornone • Sept. 10, 2021

Feds to require large employers mandate coronavirus vaccine

Higher education associations are waiting for more details on the mandates, but they will likely affect many colleges.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 10, 2021

Mills officials countersue alumnae association over merger plan

College leaders allege merger opponents publicly shared confidential information and are driving the college to financial ruin.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 08, 2021

New Biden executive order seeks to boost HBCUs

The White House reaffirmed initiatives focused on equity and economic opportunity as historically Black institutions see new national prominence.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Sept. 07, 2021