Colleges are waiting with bated breath after President Trump announced an upcoming deal with Harvard University, fearing concessions that could become a blueprint for what the administration demands of other schools.

High school and community college students in Illinois will soon be able to earn automatic admission to most state public universities based on their GPA—without even having to apply.

If Congress signs off on that plan, campuses like UMass—which are already hurting from terminated grants—could lose more than half their federal research support.

When we underfund higher education, we turn what should be a bridge that connects talent to opportunity into a barrier.