Policy & Legal
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Education Department boosts FAFSA outreach efforts to close completion gap
The agency announced a $50 million effort to provide more support to students and families in light of the botched rollout of the new form.
By Kara Arundel • May 6, 2024 -
15 states now suing over final Title IX rule
A flurry of lawsuits this week claim the Department of Education overstepped its authority when it finalized a Title IX rule including LGBTQ+ protections.
By Naaz Modan • May 2, 2024 -
Trendline
Diversity and Equity
Explore trends in diversity and equity and what they mean for the higher education sector.
By Higher Ed Dive staff -
Biden administration to forgive $6.1B in loans for former Art Institutes students
The Education Department is providing automatic relief for some 317,000 borrowers who attended the shuttered college system between 2004 and 2017.
By Ben Unglesbee • May 1, 2024 -
House Republicans to probe federal college funding and tax breaks amid student protests
House Speaker Mike Johnson referred to antisemitism as a virus Tuesday, blaming college leaders for failing to stop its spread.
By Laura Spitalniak • May 1, 2024 -
New Title IX rule draws first legal challenges
In two lawsuits, five states and several advocacy groups argue the regulations improperly expand Title IX's protections and undermine student rights.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 30, 2024 -
FAFSA, college protests dominate hearing on proposed FY25 education budget
"We're doing everything everyday to make it right," U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told senators of complications with the new FAFSA.
By Kara Arundel • April 30, 2024 -
17 states sue to block EEOC pregnancy accommodation rule
The rule’s abortion accommodation provisions conflict with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the plaintiffs, led by Tennessee, alleged.
By Ryan Golden • April 26, 2024 -
Pro-Palestinian legal group files civil rights complaint against Columbia University
Palestine Legal called on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the Ivy League institution over its response to protests and other matters.
By Laura Spitalniak • April 26, 2024 -
Federal judge sets new timeline for overdue Sweet v. Cardona relief
A federal judge agreed to give the agency more time to discharge loans covered by the $6 billion settlement after officials missed a January deadline.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 26, 2024 -
Lifetime college returns differ significantly by major, research finds
Engineering and computer science showed the best return out of 10 fields of study that were examined.
By Lilah Burke • April 25, 2024 -
DOL will raise overtime salary threshold to $44K in July, $59K next year
The final rule expands overtime pay eligibility to millions of U.S. workers, the department said.
By Ryan Golden • April 23, 2024 -
Pro-Palestinian protests ramp up at universities, including NYU and Yale
Columbia University transitioned its main campus to hybrid learning for the rest of the semester as other colleges prepare for further activist action.
By Laura Spitalniak • April 23, 2024 -
Cornell University reinstates ACT and SAT requirements
The Ivy League institution is just the latest top-ranked college to shed test-optional policies adopted during the coronavirus pandemic.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 22, 2024 -
Education Department’s final Title IX regulations draw mixed reactions
Advocates for sexual assault survivors praised the rule, though some groups said it will undermine due process and free speech.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 19, 2024 -
Final Title IX rule enshrines protections for LGBTQI+ students
The Education Department's long-awaited regulations also provide protections for pregnant students and employees.
By Naaz Modan • Updated April 19, 2024 -
HLC 2024
‘We are not hospice’: The race to get faster in predicting college shutdowns
The Higher Learning Commission has been studying institutional closures under its purview to understand the signs of distress, officials with the accreditor said at its annual conference.
By Ben Unglesbee • April 18, 2024 -
ACT partners with private equity firm, will transition to for-profit
The corporate structure change won't affect the price of the ACT test or students' experiences with it, the organization said.
By Kara Arundel • April 18, 2024 -
Columbia president faces congressional grilling during antisemitism hearing
Minouche Shafik emphasized the work Columbia has done to strengthen its anti-discrimination policies Wednesday, but Republican lawmakers pressed her for more immediate action.
By Laura Spitalniak • April 17, 2024 -
Sticker prices increasingly fail to capture college costs, research finds
The current system for listing college costs hampers student decisions about where to attend, a Brookings Institution report contends.
By Laura Spitalniak • April 17, 2024 -
Tutor.com’s ownership by Chinese firm raises student data privacy concerns
Some officials are scrutinizing the online tutoring service’s ability to safeguard student data, but Tutor.com says there’s no threat to privacy.
By Anna Merod • April 17, 2024 -
Education Department eyes widespread student debt relief in draft rules
The Biden administration hopes to finalize the proposals in time to start canceling debt this fall.
By Natalie Schwartz • April 16, 2024 -
Criticism mounts against Texas Gov. Abbott’s executive order on campus antisemitism
The state AAUP conference recently pushed back against the directive, saying it uses overly broad language and singles out certain student groups.
By Laura Spitalniak • April 16, 2024 -
EEOC finalizes pregnancy accommodation rule
The much-anticipated regulation includes abortion under the list of related medical conditions covered by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
By Ryan Golden • April 16, 2024 -
Final overtime rule clears White House review
If adopted, the Labor Department's proposal would bump the annual salary threshold that determines overtime pay eligibility from $35,568 to $55,068.
By Ryan Golden • April 12, 2024 -
Greater financial strains loom over Wisconsin’s public universities, review finds
The system's president called on state lawmakers for more funding after financial reviews showed universities are facing deficits and liquidity issues.
By Ben Unglesbee • April 12, 2024