Finance
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Harvard v. Trump
Harvard’s operations lost $112.6M in FY25 amid Trump’s pressure campaign
President Alan Garber called fiscal 2025 extraordinarily challenging for the Ivy League university "even by the standards of our centuries-long history."
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 17, 2025 -
Carnegie Mellon lays off 75 employees at engineering institute amid federal funding shifts
The cuts amount to 10% of the Software Engineering Institute’s workforce, which has taken a financial hit from recent policy changes.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 10, 2025 -
University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty raise alarms about program cuts
Professors at the public institution voiced concerns about poor data and a lack of transparency in the chancellor’s proposal to axe six academic programs.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 8, 2025 -
DePaul University weighs budget measures amid cratering international enrollment
The private Chicago nonprofit is considering cutting executive pay and freezing staff hiring after new international graduate enrollment fell 62% from last year.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 6, 2025 -
Newsom vows to pull state funding from California colleges that sign Trump’s compact
A proposed agreement sent to nine institutions would give them priority for federal research funding in exchange for sweeping policy changes.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 3, 2025 -
Djflem. (2019). [Photograph]. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
New Jersey City University and Kean University sign official deal to merge
Under the deal, New Jersey City University would become “Kean Jersey City,” marking a new chapter after years of financial distress.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 3, 2025 -
The image by Warren LeMay is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Washington University lays off over 300 employees
The private St. Louis institution has also cut nearly 200 unfilled positions as it grapples with federal cuts, rising expenses and a heightened endowment tax.
By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 2, 2025 -
Brown University to lay off 48 employees and eliminate 55 vacant roles
The Ivy League institution is making the cuts as part of a broader effort to shave $30 million from its budget.
By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 24, 2025 -
Deep Dive
What does the end of Grad PLUS loans mean for higher ed?
The end of the 20-year program could push more students to the private loan market and force colleges to end some of their graduate offerings.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 22, 2025 -
The image by Jhalent is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte announce intent to merge
The private North Carolina institutions said the combination would help meet the educational and workforce needs of Charlotte, the state's biggest city.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 17, 2025 -
University of Nebraska-Lincoln looks to cut 6 academic programs
The move would save $7.7 million, according to the public institution’s chancellor, who also called for merging other programs into new interdisciplinary schools.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 15, 2025 -
The image by Royalbroil is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
UW-Stevens Point partners with community college to shore up struggling branch
Leaders hope partnering with Northcentral Technical College will create new opportunities and cost savings for the public university’s Wausau location.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 12, 2025 -
Federal judge declines to restore $1B in grants cut by NSF
The lawsuit over the agency’s mass grant terminations will proceed, but plaintiffs will have to seek monetary relief in another court.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 11, 2025 -
University of Oregon laying off around 60 employees
Overall, the university has let go of almost 120 employees and eliminated 59 vacant jobs this year.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 9, 2025 -
Education Department seeks to offer ‘proactive’ federal student loan guidance
The agency is revamping the Office of the Ombudsman to increase financial literacy and share the risks and benefits of student loans to potential borrowers.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 8, 2025 -
Sponsored by Amazon Business
Cost-smart campuses: Building financial resilience through strategic buying
How smarter procurement helps campuses save, streamline and strengthen resilience.
Sept. 8, 2025 -
The image by COGpio is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
East Carolina University eyes $25M in cuts
The three-year savings goal would be met through permanent cuts, academic program changes and operational restructuring, the public institution said.
By Ben Unglesbee • Updated Sept. 9, 2025 -
University of California would need $5B if it lost federal funding, leader says
The public university system’s president warned of a “distinct possibility” that the Trump administration would take further action against it.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 5, 2025 -
University of Chicago braces for job cuts amid effort to shed $100M in costs
The private institution is taking dramatic steps like pausing doctoral enrollment for several programs as it faces rising expenses and federal policy shifts.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 2, 2025 -
Q&A
Catholic University’s president on balancing budget cuts with growth
The institution laid off 7% of its staff this year, but leaders first raised money for separation packages and a plan for future growth.
By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 2, 2025 -
Retrieved from Albright College on January 22, 2025
Albright College declares ‘remarkable’ turnaround as it borrows $15M from endowment
The private institution said it’s on track for a $10 million budget surplus after recent cuts and cash concerns.
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 27, 2025 -
Cornell University plans to restructure later this year amid federal funding declines
The Ivy League institution's leaders said efforts to save costs and centralize operations will “inevitably” lead to workforce reductions.
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 25, 2025 -
‘Wrong and deeply disappointing’: Supreme Court halts order restoring NIH grants
The high court’s decision potentially made it much more difficult for researchers to have their grants reinstated.
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 22, 2025 -
UCLA consolidates IT, pauses faculty hiring as Trump administration seeks $1B payment
The public institution is one of several facing cuts to federal research funding over allegations related to antisemitism.
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 21, 2025 -
Utah State University to face state audit amid concerns about former leader’s spending
An initial review raised concerns about the public institution’s “governance, leadership, and culture of policy noncompliance.”
By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 20, 2025