Policy and Legal Affairs

Trump orders elimination of Department of Education; shifts ‘core functions’

Title I, services for students with disabilities, Pell Grants and other programs will be "preserved in full" to be administered by other agencies, the president said Thursday.

Federal warning: More than 50 institutions probed for race-based violations

The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is investigating colleges and universities for potentially violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, according to a press release.

Here are the latest changes to this loan forgiveness program

President Donald Trump issued an executive order that limits which nonprofit organizations qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness based on whether they participate in "illegal" or "harmful" activities.

Campus antisemitism: Columbia loses $400 million in government contracts

More funding is at risk of cancellation, said Leo Terrell, head of the Department of Justice's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.

Campus antisemitism: Trump admin is getting more aggressive

Colleges and universities under investigation for campus antisemitism now risk losing federal contracts and grants, the Department of Education warns. The first target is Columbia University.

Lawsuit warns that Trump DEI orders will stifle academic inquiry

President's actions against diversity, equity and inclusions programs are an "unconstitutional" threat to academic freedom and accessibility, a new lawsuit contends.  

Outcomes-based funding: Why it should focus on students’ earnings

Outcomes-based funding formulas could push institutions to help students secure well-paying careers, asserts this whitepaper from The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.

These 5 universities are now under investigation for anti-Semitism

The press release comes only five days after President Donald Trump released an executive order pledging to hold higher education accountable for anti-Semitisms in the wake of protests against Israel’s actions in the Gaza war.

Office of Civil Rights was very busy under Biden

The Department of Education received a record number of civil rights complaints three years in a row under former president Joe Biden's administration.

Undocumented students: 10 ways to keep their data safe

The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration shared a webinar on how colleges can support undocumented students, with particular focus on protecting sensitive information.

Big political win results in a narrower Title IX

Following months of public and legal pushback, the Department of Education's efforts to add LGBTQ protections to Title IX has been defeated.

How a looming Trump presidency is already affecting college life

President-elect Donald Trump's aggressive stance on immigration has led some institutions and related organizations to begin issuing guidance to students ahead of his inauguration.

Why proving program ROI is higher ed’s latest challenge

Funneling colleges' financial aid data and institutional costs into one location will require an unprecedented level of cross-departmental collaboration, says one Title IV expert.

Censorship on campus is getting more sophisticated, report warns

A stealthier wave of censorship campaigns is hitting college campuses as lawmakers in some states move to restrict academic freedom beyond the wave of "educational gag orders" enacted in recent years, a new report warns.

Report: HBCUs need more funding now to keep pace with digital demands

Complete College America highlights need for digital transformation at HBCUs, calling for increased investment in technology and physical infrastructure to boost student success

Trademark lawsuit could disrupt a big business for higher ed

A pending case involving Penn State and sports apparel retailer Vintage Brand centers around whether a T-shirt manufacturer can use another’s trademark without permission.

Are you in the loop with 5 big regulatory changes?

On Monday, three higher ed regulations will take effect, raising some employee wages and expanding government's ability to oversee financial aid disbursement and underperforming academic programs.

Mergers and acquisitions: Don’t let finances blindside you

Consolidating can be the lifeline for smaller colleges. However, such the financial shock that drives the transaction often comes by surprise. Here's what to look out for and what steps to take if a merger is inevitable.

Colleges find a DEI makeover is a useful sidestep—for now

School leaders who wish to comply with new regulations while simultaneously ensuring they're appealing to diverse student bodies are parrying legislative restrictions with a simple yet sly strategy: rebranding their DEI offices.

Biden moves back on the offensive on student loans, targets “runaway interest”

President Joe Biden is following through with a plan B to alleviate the country's student loan crisis, pivoting away from blanket relief for all borrowers to focus on those struggling with growing balances.

Distance education via online learning may be in a for a huge shake-up due to this proposal

While an agreement that allows smaller schools to provide online learning free of complicated compliance measures may be in peril, some experts believe the need for stronger consumer protection outweighs the negatives.

These are the states with the highest student enrollment rates

Michael Dinich, founder and CEO of Wealth of Geeks, believes each state's enrollment reflects state policies supporting students on their postsecondary academic journey. Of the five states with the highest rate of college-going learners, four prove this is the case.

Which college, university leaders are speaking out against anti-DEI efforts?

As colleges and universities across Florida and Texas are forced to shudder their DEI offices, higher education leaders in other states whose lawmakers threaten to propose similar legislation are voicing their opposition—before it becomes too late.

Lawmakers, donors disagreed on DEI in 2023. Now, there’s fallout

While the GOP-led movement to disband DEI offices has caught fire across the country, school donations in 2023 suggest a rift between lawmakers' wishes and the community's.

Free speech watchdogs find 2-year uptick in restrictive free speech codes on campus

“This is not an anomaly: Free speech in higher education is getting worse,” said Laura Beltz, director of policy reform at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

How an emerging economy is fueling an academic renaissance

National interest in revitalizing a domestic manufacturing industry related to microchip technology and AI has created an opportunity for higher education to strengthen its value proposition at the two-year, four-year and postgraduate level.

Here are states’ top 10 priorities for higher education in 2024

While 20 states this year are in the middle of their biennial cycle, the remaining will fight to pass favorable budgets that can alleviate the challenges present among colleges and universities today.

The next ‘evolution’ in higher ed’s state funding model has arrived, per report

Completion-goals funding will push public higher education and state policymakers to address the region's labor market needs together, in turn boosting graduates' return on investment and improving the economy, according to Complete College America.

Grand Canyon University, Feds rumble after for-profit slapped with $38 million lawsuit

"I've talked to literally thousands of people in group and individual settings, and I'm getting the same message: This is government overreach, this is the weaponization of a department that has an opinion that isn't shared by anybody else," GCU President Brian Mueller said.

Policy roundup 2023: How state and federal legislators tackled higher ed

Some policy pushes have enjoyed bipartisan support, such as addressing hazing on college campuses. Others, however, have been more aligned across political lines, like dismantling DEI. 

Florida seeks to silence speech on social activism across state schools, per regulation

The regulation's added ordinance barring public or social activism comes weeks after the Hamas-Israel conflict sparked incendiary student protests and backlash to university presidents' official statements.

These 3 religious colleges draw the ire of an LGBTQ+ watchdog

Schools this past year dodged Title IX statutes barring institutions from sexual discrimination since it contradicts its religious tenets.

How public policy at the state and federal levels is working to combat hazing

Recent scandals across multiple esteemed athletic programs illustrate that hazing is not only associated with Greek life and can derive from a systemic problem.

Emboldened by Supreme Court ruling, lawmakers and nonprofits target diversity initiatives

Lawmakers and non-profits alike are targeting scholarships and fellowships outside of the Supreme Court ruling's scope on the grounds they violate federal law.

Why did these 5 law schools improperly disburse over $2 million in financial aid?

The Department of Education has since fined three of the institutions and has requested from all five reimbursements for the allotted funds.