Experts say new collaborations, adult-learner strategies and state financial incentives could help institutions share resources and better meet student needs.
Lawmakers are pressing the Education Department to include nursing in programs eligible for higher federal loan caps. They warn the current proposal would make advanced nursing degrees harder to afford.
Companies like Chipotle and McDonald's offer tuition benefits through a federal program providing $5,250 in tax-free education assistance. New changes will adjust the cap for inflation and make tax-free loan repayment permanent.
According to Neeli Bendapudi, the president of Penn State University, it is "important" that the federal government "continue that tradition of investing in our higher education system because it's a huge competitive advantage."
Pacific University and Willamette University, two of the oldest private institutions in Oregon, signaled plans to merge and become the University of the Northwest.
Elite colleges are enrolling record numbers of low-income students by widening recruitment and boosting aid. The shift is drawing scrutiny from the Trump administration, which questions whether targeting needier students is legal.
2026 will favor community colleges that reinvent themselves to ensure institutional resilience, market relevance and programmatic alignment with workforce and community needs.
