West Virginia declares state of emergency amid FAFSA rollout challenges

Completion rates for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid have declined nearly 40% in the state.

By Anna Merod • May 9, 2024

Cardona pushes for more OCR funding given increased caseload

The U.S. Department of Education is seeking a 16% funding increase to allow the Office for Civil Rights to add staff and more quickly resolve complaints.

By Naaz Modan • May 9, 2024

How can public colleges prepare for ADA digital accessibility requirements?

A new Justice Department rule aims to ensure state and local government web content and mobile apps are accessible for people with disabilities.

By Kara Arundel • May 8, 2024

Education Department boosts FAFSA outreach efforts to close completion gap

The agency announced a $50 million effort to provide more support to students and families in light of the botched rollout of the new form.

By Kara Arundel • May 6, 2024

15 states now suing over final Title IX rule

A flurry of lawsuits this week claim the Department of Education overstepped its authority when it finalized a Title IX rule including LGBTQ+ protections.

By Naaz Modan • May 2, 2024

Biden administration to forgive $6.1B in loans for former Art Institutes students

The Education Department is providing automatic relief for some 317,000 borrowers who attended the shuttered college system between 2004 and 2017.

By Ben Unglesbee • May 1, 2024

House Republicans to probe federal college funding and tax breaks amid student protests

House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to antisemitism as a virus Tuesday, blaming college leaders for failing to stop its spread.

By Laura Spitalniak • May 1, 2024

New Title IX rule draws first legal challenges

In two lawsuits, five states and several advocacy groups argue the regulations improperly expand Title IX's protections and undermine student rights.

By Natalie Schwartz • April 30, 2024

FAFSA, college protests dominate hearing on proposed FY25 education budget

"We're doing everything everyday to make it right," U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told senators of complications with the new FAFSA.

By Kara Arundel • April 30, 2024

17 states sue to block EEOC pregnancy accommodation rule

The rule’s abortion accommodation provisions conflict with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the plaintiffs, led by Tennessee, alleged.

By Ryan Golden • April 26, 2024

Pro-Palestinian legal group files civil rights complaint against Columbia University

Palestine Legal called on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the Ivy League institution over its response to protests and other matters.

By Laura Spitalniak • April 26, 2024

Federal judge sets new timeline for overdue Sweet v. Cardona relief

A federal judge agreed to give the agency more time to discharge loans covered by the $6 billion settlement after officials missed a January deadline. 

By Natalie Schwartz • April 26, 2024

Lifetime college returns differ significantly by major, research finds

Engineering and computer science showed the best return out of 10 fields of study that were examined.

By Lilah Burke • April 25, 2024

DOL will raise overtime salary threshold to $44K in July, $59K next year

The final rule expands overtime pay eligibility to millions of U.S. workers, the department said.

By Ryan Golden • April 23, 2024

Pro-Palestinian protests ramp up at universities, including NYU and Yale

Columbia University transitioned its main campus to hybrid learning for the rest of the semester as other colleges prepare for further activist action.

By Laura Spitalniak • April 23, 2024

Cornell University reinstates ACT and SAT requirements

The Ivy League institution is just the latest top-ranked college to shed test-optional policies adopted during the coronavirus pandemic. 

By Natalie Schwartz • April 22, 2024

Education Department’s final Title IX regulations draw mixed reactions

Advocates for sexual assault survivors praised the rule, though some groups said it will undermine due process and free speech.

By Natalie Schwartz • April 19, 2024

Final Title IX rule enshrines protections for LGBTQI+ students

The Education Department's long-awaited regulations also provide protections for pregnant students and employees.

By Naaz Modan • Updated April 19, 2024

ACT partners with private equity firm, will transition to for-profit

The corporate structure change won't affect the price of the ACT test or students' experiences with it, the organization said.

By Kara Arundel • April 18, 2024

‘We are not hospice’: The race to get faster in predicting college shutdowns

The Higher Learning Commission has been studying institutional closures under its purview to understand the signs of distress, officials with the accreditor said at its annual conference.

By Ben Unglesbee • April 18, 2024

Columbia president faces congressional grilling during antisemitism hearing

Minouche Shafik emphasized the work Columbia has done to strengthen its anti-discrimination policies Wednesday, but Republican lawmakers pressed her for more immediate action.

By Laura Spitalniak • April 17, 2024

Tutor.com’s ownership by Chinese firm raises student data privacy concerns

Some officials are scrutinizing the online tutoring service’s ability to safeguard student data, but Tutor.com says there’s no threat to privacy.

By Anna Merod • April 17, 2024

Sticker prices increasingly fail to capture college costs, research finds

The current system for listing college costs hampers student decisions about where to attend, a Brookings Institution report contends.

By Laura Spitalniak • April 17, 2024

Education Department eyes widespread student debt relief in draft rules

The Biden administration hopes to finalize the proposals in time to start canceling debt this fall. 

By Natalie Schwartz • April 16, 2024

EEOC finalizes pregnancy accommodation rule

The much-anticipated regulation includes abortion under the list of related medical conditions covered by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

By Ryan Golden • April 16, 2024