Policy & Legal

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

South Carolina lawmakers propose ending tenure at state's public colleges

The measure took education leaders by surprise, according to the president of the state's AAUP conference.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Nov. 22, 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

Pennsylvania governor takes aim at sexual violence at state's colleges

Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a legislative package that would enact new consent and sexual conduct education laws.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 22, 2021

The Ed Dept revived a financial aid investigative unit. Is it open season on for-profit colleges?

The sector fears it will be unfairly targeted by probes into financial aid abuses. Experts say the division should look into infractions across higher ed.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 21, 2021

Catherine Lhamon narrowly survives Senate confirmation, will head Ed Dept's civil rights arm

Due process activists railed against her appointment, arguing her Obama-era role enforcing sexual assault policies disqualified her from serving.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Oct. 20, 2021

Anti-affirmative action group appeals UNC-Chapel Hill decision to Supreme Court

The leader of Students for Fair Admissions called for an end to race-conscious admissions policies "as soon as possible."

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • Updated Nov. 12, 2021

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

Western Michigan U agrees to drop vaccine mandate for 16 student-athletes to settle lawsuit

The students had sued the university earlier this year, contending that its requirement violated their religious liberties.

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Nov. 16, 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. 6, 2021

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. 4, 2021

Using texts to support students through COVID-19

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

Oct. 4, 2021

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. 1, 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

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