University of North Texas braces for budget cuts amid $45M deficit
Feb 18, 2026 - The institution’s leader attributed the gap to drops in state funding and larger-than-expected declines in international graduate enrollment.
Higher Ed Policy and Budget Announcements
Kansas legislature poised to cut funding to universities, cap tuition
Feb 16, 2026 - Only one should survive to the end of the budget process.
Pentagon may bar tuition aid for top universities in Hegseth’s crackdown on ‘biased’ schools
Feb 13, 2026 - Military officers could soon find dozens of top colleges and universities across the United States abruptly off limits for tuition assistance as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign against schools he describes as being biased against the US military and sponsoring “troublesome partnerships with foreign adversaries.”
CBO: Pell Grant Facing $11.5B Shortfall
Feb 13, 2026 - If Congress doesn’t add money to the Federal Student Aid account by Sept. 30, students could face dramatic grant cuts or eligibility restrictions.
Yale College staff to shrink by 7.5 percent amid budget cuts, dean says
Feb 13, 2026 - The Yale College operating budget, which totals approximately $80 million this academic year, is separate from Yale's $275 million annual financial aid budget.
Wisconsin Assembly passes bill removing race-based higher ed programs
Feb 13, 2026 - Assembly Republicans voted Thursday to change eligibility for certain financial aid programs, and make it easier to sue universities for free speech violations.
More Indiana college degree programs in jeopardy
Feb 10, 2026 - Indiana lawmakers revisited a provision that would require state officials to potentially eliminate certain low-wage college degree programs
Barnard, Columbia join Harvard legal fight against Trump administration’s blocking of international student enrollment
Feb 9, 2026 - Barnard and Columbia have joined Harvard University’s legal fight against President Donald Trump’s administration’s blocking of international student enrollment at the university, signing onto an amicus brief on Jan. 20.
Defense Department cuts academic ties with Harvard
Feb 9, 2026 - The Pentagon no longer plans to sponsor studies of military service members at the Ivy League institution as the Trump administration presses its feud with the university.
Santa Monica College approves dozens of layoffs to target shortfalls
Feb 9, 2026 - The California public institution is struggling with a persistent structural deficit as well as recent and long-term enrollment declines.
45 layoffs as ISU axes College of Education, splits biology department in mass restructuring
Feb 6, 2026 - Idaho State University is laying off 45 people and enacting significant structural changes impacting four colleges as it works to address an $8 million deficit.
‘An urgent operational reality’: Southern Oregon University faces looming cash shortfall
Feb 4, 2026 - The struggling regional institution has seen enrollment decline and is now trying to manage its expenses amid constrained revenue.
Princeton moves to tighten budgets as investment markets slow
Feb 4, 2026 - More than half of the Ivy League institution's operating revenue comes from endowment income, but lower returns and higher taxes could stymie growth.
Trump signs $79B education funding bill into law
Feb 3, 2026 - The fiscal 2026 budget measure will fund the agency through Sept. 30, giving it about $217 million above the prior year’s funding level.
Trump ups demands from Harvard, seeks $1 billion settlement after months of strained talks
Feb 3, 2026 - President Donald Trump has doubled down on his attacks against Harvard University, demanding that the Ivy League school pay a $1 billion settlement to restore federal funding after months of failed negotiations.
Iowa private university leaders see bills as harmful to their institutions
Feb 2, 2026 - Leaders say they are worried about their peers and the setting of a dangerous precedent in the state as Iowa lawmakers move to establish new degree programs at community colleges and tax endowment funds filled by donors.
Federal Funding for Science and Engineering: Trends in Rankings Among Top Universities, FYs 2014–23
Feb 2, 2026 - In FY 2023, federal agency obligations to the top 10 higher education recipient institutions totaled $9.9 billion, or 20.1% of all federal S&E support obligations to higher education institutions.
Former USU president likely broke Utah law with spending and contract awards, state audit says
Jan 30, 2026 - The blistering 104-page report points to “severe noncompliance” under Utah State University President Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell.
Penn undergoes another round of budget-tightening measures
Jan 30, 2026 - The Ivy League institution directed leaders of its schools and centers to reduce “certain expenditures” by 4% amid federal policy headwinds.
Cal State unveils plan for ‘long overdue’ review of campus finances
Jan 29, 2026 - After deep cutbacks at Sonoma State University, CSU leaders said closer oversight of its 22 campuses’ finances would act as an early warning system.
Florida moves forward with DeSantis-backed pause for H-1B visas in universities
Jan 29, 2026 - The pause will affect the hiring of international faculty and staff throughout the state's university system.
Should professors be forced to retire?
Jan 27, 2026 - Some universities are implementing a mandatory retirement age for academics. Will it help young researchers to get permanent positions?
Education Department moves to overhaul accreditation regulations
Jan 27, 2026 - The agency wants to make it easier for new accreditors to gain recognition and to curb diversity, equity and inclusion standards, per a Federal Register notice.
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
Jan 26, 2026 - A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
Utah higher education could see another state budget cut — this time, losing $94 million
Jan 26, 2026 - It's the third year in a row that the Utah Legislature has asked to slash the higher education budget, spurring deep frustration among school leaders.
He left the US for an internship. Trump's travel ban made it impossible to return
Jan 26, 2026 - The Trump administration has thrown up new obstacles for international students, from travel bans to a pause in visa appointments and new layers of vetting.
The health care hiring boom is losing steam
Jan 26, 2026 - Cuts to federal health programs, AI automation and rising costs are making health systems and other employers level off hiring.
OECD Report on AI in Education Offers Nuanced Perspective
Jan 22, 2026 - It offers a nuanced account of when, how, and under what conditions GenAI can genuinely improve learning, teaching, and system effectiveness, while also being explicit about risks and unintended consequences.
Updates on US federal research policy
Jan 23, 2026 - The OMB released a budget data request this week, ordering a review of federal funding for 14 states. All federal agencies save for the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs are charged with responding
New Study Shows University Indirect Cost Rates Are Reasonable
Jan 23, 2026 - Universities on average are reimbursed less by the federal government for the indirect research costs they incur than private industry contractors and federal laboratories.