Finance

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    Mario Tama / Staff via Getty Images
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    University of Southern California signals layoffs amid $200M budget gap

    A transformed operating model is needed to address lower federal research support and a growing shortfall, USC's interim president said.

    By • July 16, 2025
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    The image by TulGuy is licensed under CC BY 1.0
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    Column // College Closure Files

    Bacone College shut down after 145 years. What went wrong?

    The Oklahoma institution had shaky finances for years. And some insiders have accused it of straying from its mission of serving Native American students. 

    By • July 14, 2025
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    Boogich via Getty Images
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    Moody’s: Trump’s tough international student policies could hit some colleges hard

    Visa processing slowdowns and travel bans could mean lost revenue, tighter margins and financial stress.

    By • July 11, 2025
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    Jeremy Bauer-Wolf/Higher Ed Dive
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    George Washington University hints at layoffs amid federal policy upheaval

    The private nonprofit is facing an “unsustainable compounding deficit” and uncertainty about research funding, top officials said in a community message.

    By • July 9, 2025
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    The image by Wally Gobetz is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Boston University to lay off 120 staffers amid budget challenges

    The private institution faces federal funding uncertainty along with operational headaches such as rising costs.

    By • July 8, 2025
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    Kayla Bartkowski / Staff via Getty Images
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    ‘One big mistake’: Higher ed sounds warning over GOP budget law

    From higher endowment taxes to student loan limits, colleges and students will face a dramatically new landscape with the passage of a new spending law.

    By • July 7, 2025
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    The image by Dwight Burdette is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    Siena Heights University to close after coming academic year

    The 105-year-old Catholic nonprofit in Michigan concluded it was “no longer feasible” to continue operating.

    By • July 1, 2025
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    Wolterk via Getty Images
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    Brown University preps for ‘significant cost-cutting’ amid federal funding disruption

    The Ivy League institution's top officials signaled possible staff reductions along with scaled back capital spending and other measures.

    By • June 30, 2025
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    Sundry Phorography via Getty Images
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    Stanford University expects layoffs in coming year

    The private nonprofit is cutting $140 million from its budget as it grapples with “significant budget consequences” from federal policy shifts.

    By • June 27, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Key higher ed provisions in reconciliation bill violate Senate rules, official finds

    Expanding Pell Grants to short-term programs and consolidating student loan programs were among the proposals flagged by the chamber’s parliamentarian.

    By • June 26, 2025
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    The image by Jimmy Emerson is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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    University of Connecticut eyes workforce cuts to manage funding shortfalls

    Faced with cuts to state and federal funding, leaders are clamping down on hiring and reviewing temporary positions, along with other austerity measures.

    By • June 24, 2025
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    Mario Tama / Staff via Getty Images
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    Tuition discounts at private nonprofits continue to climb, estimates show

    Colleges have been giving larger aid packages to greater shares of students, the National Association of College and University Business Officers found. 

    By • June 24, 2025
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    The image by afunkydamsel is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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    Columbia College Chicago lays off 20 faculty members

    The cuts come as the private nonprofit attempts to “invest in areas that correspond to strong student demand,” one official told the campus community.

    By • June 23, 2025
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    Anna Kapustina via Getty Images
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    Temple University eyes job reductions amid $60M deficit for FY26

    The public institution’s president said that enrollment is starting to rebound after a steep drop since 2017, but costs have increased much more quickly.

    By • June 20, 2025
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    Laura Spitalniak/Higher Ed Dive
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    Tennessee State operations get $96M boost from reallocated state funds

    Tennessee's comptroller cited his confidence in the beleaguered university's current leadership team when signing the deal Tuesday.

    By • June 18, 2025
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    Lya_Cattel via Getty Images
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    AAUP and AFT appeal after judge tosses lawsuit over canceled Columbia funds

    The judge ruled that the unions lacked standing to sue and sided with the Trump administration’s case.

    By • June 17, 2025
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    Laura Spitalniak/Higher Ed Dive
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    Tennessee State raises tuition 6% amid budget stabilization effort

    Even with the tuition hike, the public historically Black institution faces a nearly $39 million shortfall.

    By • June 16, 2025
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    RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
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    University of Nebraska looks to cut another $20M from its budget

    Amid state and federal funding challenges, the public Midwestern institution has already cut tens of millions of dollars in spending in recent years.

    By • June 13, 2025
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    Courtesy of Guilford College
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    North Carolina’s Guilford College scrambles for cash to keep its accreditation

    Amid enrollment declines, the historically Quaker institution has until December to show its accreditor a balanced budget for the 2026 fiscal year.

    By • June 12, 2025
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    Joe Hendrickson via Getty Images
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    Northwestern freezes hiring and cuts budgets to combat ‘increasing strain’ on finances

    The highly selective university faces funding threats from the Trump administration along with rising costs and proposed policy changes.

    By • June 11, 2025
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    The image by AlexiusHoratius is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    University of Minnesota eyes steep tuition hikes and budget cuts

    The public institution aims to keep its budget balanced amid what its president described as “unprecedented challenges” in higher education.

    By • June 10, 2025
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    The image by MollyElliott77 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    For-profit performing arts college in New York to close

    The New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts said it had exhausted “every possible alternative” prior to the decision to wind down.

    By • June 5, 2025
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    "University of Phoenix" by Ryan McKnight is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    University of Idaho abandons plan to acquire University of Phoenix

    Faced with opposition from the beginning, the state university and for-profit college ended negotiations.

    By • June 4, 2025
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    Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
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    ‘Finally’: Keystone College completes merger with nonprofit

    After a recent closure scare, the institution is continuing operations under the nonprofit Washington Institute for Education and Research. 

    By • June 3, 2025
  • The side of a building with white stone and windows is shown. Letters on the building read: U.S. Department of Education
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    FY26 budget plan would slash maximum Pell Grant by nearly a quarter

    The Education Department's proposal would also radically reduce funding for Federal Work-Study and require a bigger employer contribution. 

    By • June 2, 2025