Education Department tightens debt relief program for public servants

A new rule will bar organizations deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose” from participating in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 30, 2025

The legal debate over Trump’s Title VI campus crackdown

Recent enforcement actions have set off high-stakes arguments about whether the federal government is weaponizing the civil rights law.

By David Weisenfeld • Oct. 30, 2025

Explore the Trendline➔

Artificial 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

Higher ed groups push for colleges to be exempt from $100K H-1B visa fee

The American Council on Education led a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that argues these visa holders perform vital work. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 29, 2025

New College of Florida says it will ‘happily be the first’ to sign Trump’s higher ed compact

The public institution has already instituted many policies favored by the Trump administration after it was remade by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 28, 2025

Feds launch site for employers to pay controversial H-1B fee, clarify exemptions

The update answers some of employers’ questions, but the future of President Donald Trump’s restrictions on new skilled-worker visas is still uncertain.

By Ryan Golden • Oct. 28, 2025

Private New York colleges get $50M in state financing for capital projects

Since its creation in 2005, the Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program has awarded $369.8 million to colleges across the state.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 27, 2025

‘A fair deal’ or a ‘surrender’? Stakeholders weigh in on Trump-UVA agreement

The Democratic head of the Virginia senate called the agreement a surrender with “significant constitutional problems,” a concern echoed by some faculty.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 24, 2025

70% of Americans say feds shouldn’t control admissions, curriculum

The Public Religion Research Institute poll comes as the Trump administration is pressuring colleges to change their policies. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 24, 2025

Michigan State University lays off 99 employees

Along with budget pressures from rising costs, the university has faced dozens of federal grant terminations, leading to another 83 job cuts.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 23, 2025

Tracking the Trump administration’s deals with colleges

Northwestern University agreed to pay $75 million over three years and make key policy changes to restore roughly $790 million in federal research funding. 

By Ben Unglesbee , Laura Spitalniak , Natalie Schwartz • Updated Dec. 2, 2025

US Chamber sues White House to block ‘plainly unlawful’ H-1B visa fee

The nonprofit’s lawsuit also alleges the $100,000 fee would render the H-1B program economically unviable for many.

By Ryan Golden • Oct. 21, 2025

Gov. Abbott: Texas is targeting professors over ‘leftist ideologies’

New laws in the state have dramatically reshaped public higher education and coincided with a wave of high-profile faculty terminations.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 21, 2025

‘Nothing less than government control’: Higher ed responds to Trump’s compact

Federal officials offered preferential funding treatment to nine initial colleges in exchange for sweeping changes. Here’s how they replied.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 20, 2025

Harvard’s operations lost $112.6M in FY25 amid Trump’s pressure campaign

President Alan Garber called fiscal 2025 extraordinarily challenging for the Ivy League university "even by the standards of our centuries-long history."

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 17, 2025

Temporary budget deal nullifies Education Department RIFs

Here's a timeline tracing the Trump administration's efforts to slash half of the U.S. Department of Education's workforce.

By Anna Merod • Updated Nov. 13, 2025

University of Pennsylvania rejects Trump’s higher education compact

The Ivy League institution became the third college to decline the offer of priority for federal research funding in exchange for sweeping policy changes.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 16, 2025

Higher ed groups blast Trump plan to expand applicant data collection

A coalition led by the American Council on Education said the proposal would overly burden colleges and raise student privacy concerns.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 16, 2025

Court temporarily blocks overnight ban on expression at University of Texas System

A federal judge found “significant First Amendment issues” in a state law barring all free speech on public campuses between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 16, 2025

Brown University rejects Trump’s higher education compact

The Ivy League institution became the second prominent college, after MIT, to reject the deal over concerns about freedom and independence.

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 15, 2025

Newsom vetoes bill allowing preference in college admissions for descendants of slaves

The California governor contended the legislation was unnecessary, writing that colleges can already determine whether to give such admissions advantages. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Oct. 15, 2025

Republican lawmakers ask McMahon to restore funding for Hispanic-serving colleges

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Conference pushed back on arguments that the programs discriminate by establishing racial quotas.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 15, 2025

Antioch University’s president talks leadership and democratic education in uncertain times

Lori Varlotta took the helm of the nearly 175-year-old university this summer as it looks to raise its profile and grow the college coalition it co-founded.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 14, 2025

California governor signs Cal State direct admissions program into law

A pilot version of the program proactively offered thousands of students acceptance into the public university system.

By Ben Unglesbee • Updated Oct. 14, 2025

MIT becomes first college to reject Trump’s higher education compact

University President Sally Kornbluth said Friday that some of the terms would restrict the institution’s free expression and independence. 

By Natalie Schwartz • Updated Oct. 10, 2025

Virginia lawmakers threaten state funding consequences if UVA signs Trump compact

Three leaders of the state’s Democrat-controlled Senate urged the University of Virginia to immediately reject the agreement.

By Laura Spitalniak • Oct. 10, 2025