The Latest

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    How Oregon’s top higher ed board wants to solve university deficits

    The state's Higher Education Coordinating Commission recommended "institutional integration" and regular audits of academic programs.

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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    California public colleges would get millions in new funding under Newsom plan

    Gov. Gavin Newsom's fiscal 2027 budget proposal represents a sharp turnaround from last year, when he advocated for big higher ed cuts.

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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Supreme Court to hear arguments in transgender student athlete cases

    Justices on Tuesday will weigh whether Title IX protects transgender athletes or bans them from participating on teams aligning with their gender identity.

  • Emily Levine and Mitchell Stevens, both education professors at Stanford University.
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    Natalie Schwartz/Higher Ed Dive
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    CIC Presidents Institute 2026

    3 big takeaways from CIC’s Presidents Institute

    Higher education experts offered insight on topics ranging from how colleges can tackle societal challenges to how they should approach diversity work. 

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    Connecticut Democrats pitch plan for state-level graduate loan program

    The proposal aims to fill a $90 million hole left by the Grad PLUS federal lending system, which will end for new borrowers this summer.

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    The image by Flacourtophile is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Week in review: A controversial chancellor’s $1.1M payout

    We’re rounding up last week’s stories, from the fight over in-state tuition for undocumented Virginia students to the Trump administration’s legal battles.

  • Marjorie Hass and Barbara Mistick speak on stage during the Council of Independent Colleges' Presidents Institute.
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    Natalie Schwartz/Higher Ed Dive
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    CIC Presidents Institute 2026

    3 major policy changes college leaders should keep tabs on

    During the Council of Independent Colleges’ annual conference, higher education experts discussed new laws and regulations coming down the pike.

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    Deep Dive

    6 higher education trends to watch in 2026

    With a new year comes new enrollment challenges, shifting federal policies and increased pressure on college leaders to stand up for their institutions.

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    How many graduate borrowers will be impacted by the looming lending limits?

    A new analysis finds that roughly 28% of graduate borrowers in recent years have borrowed above the new caps taking effect in July.

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    Retrieved from The University of Virginia on January 08, 2026
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    Leadership Ledger

    2 flagship universities select leaders after abrupt resignations

    We’re rounding up some of the most significant leadership changes, from the University of Virginia to Valparaiso University.

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    Natalie Schwartz/Higher Ed Dive
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    CIC Presidents Institute 2026

    7 college presidents on 2026’s top challenges and opportunities

    Leaders at the Council of Independent Colleges’ annual conference this week shared their predictions for the year ahead.

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    UNL faculty blast chancellor’s $1.1M severance payout amid budget cuts

    Rodney Bennett unexpectedly announced this week he would step down following a fierce debate over eliminating programs.

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    NIH cap on indirect research costs struck down on appeal

    The agency announced a 15% across-the-board limit on overhead reimbursement in February, which judges so far have concluded was illegal.

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    Martin University will close after short-lived ‘pause’

    The university, Indiana's only predominantly Black institution, has faced significant financial and operational challenges in recent years.

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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Government abandons RIFs impacting Education Department employees during shutdown

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

    Updated Jan. 6, 2026
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    What’s in NIH’s settlement over delayed research funding?

    Over 5,000 grants from across the country are covered by the settlement, according to the Massachusetts attorney general’s office.

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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    DOJ, Virginia AG target in-state tuition for undocumented students

    Jason Miyares, who ends his term as state attorney general next week, filed a joint motion with the federal agency after it sued to overturn Virginia’s law.

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    Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels

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    10 stories from 2025 we wish we had written

    We’re rounding up some of the phenomenal education reporting we saw last year — from sources other than Higher Ed Dive.

  • A printout application for an H-1B visa is on a table next to a pen and a passport with some cash sticking out.
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    Manjurul via Getty Images
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    Trump can order employers to pay extra H-1B fee, court holds

    President Donald Trump can impose the $100,000 fine under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s “exceedingly broad language,” a judge ruled.

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    Deep Dive

    Will higher education researchers leave for opportunities abroad?

    As the Trump administration cuts funding to wide swaths of research, foreign countries are ramping up their efforts to recruit top U.S. talent. 

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    What 3 credit ratings agencies forecast for higher ed in 2026

    Fitch Ratings, S&P Global and Moody's Ratings all predicted a tough year ahead, pointing to deteriorating financial conditions and heightened uncertainty.

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    bymuratdeniz via Getty Images
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    Cancellation of mental health grants ruled unlawful

    A federal judge required the Education Department to reinstate the grants in 16 states and barred the agency from issuing new priorities for the programs. 

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    DOJ: Education Department’s race-based grants are unconstitutional

    A legal memo said many of the agency’s grants for minority-serving institutions and students from underrepresented backgrounds are unlawful. 

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    Retrieved from UNC System on December 22, 2025
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    UNC to require faculty to publicly post syllabi in 2026-27

    The 16-campus system has faced conservative-led public records requests this year focused on diversity- and race-related instruction.

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    The image by Sdkb is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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    Pomona College considers acquiring Claremont Graduate University

    The pair initiated confidential talks in late spring and entered exclusive talks in December to negotiate a definite agreement over the coming months.