Senate advances bills rejecting Trump’s efforts to slash research funding
Jan 13, 2026 - The White House sought cuts of 40% or more at some agencies, but lawmakers from both parties are pushing to hold science spending relatively steady.
Higher Ed Policy and Budget Announcements
How many graduate borrowers will be impacted by the looming lending limits?
Jan 9, 2025 - A new analysis finds that roughly 28% of graduate borrowers in recent years have borrowed above the new caps taking effect in July.
6 higher education trends to watch in 2026
Jan 8, 2026 - With a new year comes new enrollment challenges, shifting federal policies and increased pressure on college leaders to stand up for their institutions.
Oregon public universities consider controversial moves to achieve financial stability
Jan 7, 2025 - A university spending efficiency report concludes that to serve students and thrive financially, Oregon’s public universities must break from the status quo.
Government abandons RIFs impacting Education Department employees during shutdown
Jan 7, 2026 - A timeline tracing the Trump administration's efforts to slash half of the U.S. Department of Education's workforce.
Charting a course for the National Academies and the nation we serve
Jan 6, 2026 - Charting a course for the National Academies and the nation we serve.
NIH cap on indirect research costs struck down on appeal
Jan 6, 2025 - The agency announced a 15% across-the-board limit on overhead reimbursement in February, which judges so far have concluded was illegal.
Florida bill would ban public colleges from admitting undocumented students
Jan 5, 2026 - Undocumented immigrants in Florida won't be able to attend public universities if a sweeping new education bill passes the state legislature.
What’s in NIH’s settlement over delayed research funding?
Jan 5, 2026 - Over 5,000 grants from across the country are covered by the settlement, according to the Massachusetts attorney general’s office.
Will higher education researchers leave for opportunities abroad?
Jan 5, 2026 - As the Trump administration cuts funding to wide swaths of research, foreign countries are ramping up their efforts to recruit top U.S. talent.
How the University of Maine is planning its future while dealing with an $18 million budget deficit
Jan 3, 2026 - The state's flagship university is undergoing a major strategic planning process intended to respond to today's challenges in higher ed, from revenue struggles to academic shifts.
Duke University cut $299 million through buyouts, building closures in response to federal cuts
Dec 29, 2025 - After the Trump administration mandated that universities cut diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, limit international student enrollment and decrease their reliance on federally funded research, Duke University has spent the year finding $299 million in savings.
Diversity visa program suspension over Brown shooter could put thousands of applicants in limbo
Dec 19, 2025 - Neves Valente, 48, was found dead Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in New Hampshire after a days-long manhunt.
Trump administration appeals ruling in Harvard University case
Dec 19, 2025 - The federal government seeks to overturn a decision against its previous roughly $2.2 billion freeze on Harvard University's research funding.
Trump administration checks off many Project 2025 education goals
Dec 18, 2025 - Last year, Project 2025 was a conservative wish list. Months later, many of those wishes have become reality, including the goal of doing away with the Education Department.
UNC cuts all six area studies research centers, effective 2026
Dec 17, 2025 - The Center for European Studies, the African Studies Center, the Carolina Asia Center, the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, the Institute for the Study of the Americas and the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies are all slated to close, according to the impacted sources. These centers are the first of 14 total UNC centers and institutes to be cut.
DePaul University cuts nearly 8% of staff
Dec 16, 2025 - The Catholic institution is trying to plug an unplanned budget shortfall after a sharp decline of international students and other financial woes.
Gov. Newsom Taps Universities for State AI Council
Dec 16, 2025 - A 30-member California Innovation Council will include executives and leaders from the UC system, the Brookings Institute, Stanford University and the California Chamber of Commerce, among others.
Texas universities deploy AI for course audits
Dec 15, 2025 - Records obtained by The Texas Tribune show how universities are using the technology to reshape curriculum under political pressure, raising concerns about academic freedom.
NSF pares down grant-review process, reducing influence of outside scientists
Dec 15, 2025 - Memo cites overburdened staff, but some say move also aims to elevate White House priorities
What’s at stake as the Trump administration targets Harvard’s patents?
Dec 15, 2025 - Legal experts are watching whether the federal government will take the unprecedented step of seizing patents from federally funded research.
Trump calls for federal policy framework preempting state AI laws
Dec 12, 2025 - The executive order comes as Big Tech pushes back on local AI regulation while pouring billions into building out AI infrastructure and deploying new products.
College costs grew 3.6% in fiscal 2025, HEPI shows
Dec 12, 2025 - Faculty salaries rose 4.3%, the highest recorded rate since the Higher Education Price Index began tracking inflation in the category in 1998.
Without affirmative action, elite colleges are prioritizing economic diversity in admissions
Dec 11, 2025 - Some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges have been enrolling record numbers of low-income students as campuses prioritize economic diversity in the wake of a ban on affirmative action.
FY26 Appropriations Update: Senate Appropriators Provide Flat Funding for DOE Office of Science While ASCR Gets an Increase
Dec 11, 2025 - Analysis of the Fiscal Year 2026 Senate Appropriations Committee’s Energy and Water legislation.
EEOC opens claims process in $21M Columbia University settlement
Dec 10, 2025 - The agency alleged the university engaged in a pattern or practice of harassment against Jewish employees since at least Oct. 7, 2023.
Wisconsin public universities could start shedding programs more rapidly
Dec 10, 2025 - A committee developed a new metric based on enrollment that could increase the number of degrees that get flagged for review.
NIH shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs
Dec 8, 2025 - The MOSAIC program was terminated because it was seen as running afoul of Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI initiatives.
Oklahoma regents vote to cut 41 ‘low-producing’ academic programs
Dec 8, 2025 - The state coordinating board also moved to suspend another 21 programs across Oklahoma's public institutions.
Yale expects layoffs as leaders brace for $300M in endowment taxes
Dec 5, 2025 - The Ivy League institution’s tax bill starting next year will be higher than what it spends on student aid, university officials said.