Urban Institute Sandy Baum and Kristin Blagg February 11, 2026 Recently, the US Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on a framework for implementing a “do no harm” earnings test for students completing postsecondary programs. This test sets two thresholds for undergraduate programs: If the median earnings of […]
Inside Higher Ed Josh Moody February 11, 2026 A new report from EAB finds colleges are battered by political, social and market forces, resulting in a sector with less autonomy and tighter margins than in past downturns. The higher education sector is increasingly squeezed by economic and political pressures affecting […]
Higher Ed Dive Natalie Schwartz January 27, 2026 The agency wants to make it easier for new accreditors to gain recognition and to curb diversity, equity and inclusion standards, per a Federal Register notice. Dive Brief: The U.S. Department of Education intends to develop new regulations this spring to make it easier for […]
Ed Source Amy Dipierro February 6, 2026 Legislative agenda also includes pilot to help former CSU students receive associate degrees California State University leaders have endorsed a suite of legislative proposals aimed at funneling new nurses into high-need areas of the state, reengaging students who started but never completed college […]
Higher Ed Dive Ben Unglesbee February 9, 2026 The California public institution is struggling with a persistent structural deficit as well as recent and long-term enrollment declines. Dive Brief: Santa Monica College is set to lay off some 60 staff members as well as eliminate the equivalent of about 10 […]
Real Clear Education Bruno V. Manno February 3, 2026 The typically sedate college accreditation process is a battleground in America’s higher education culture war. That’s because accreditation isn’t just a gold seal on a college website. It’s the switch that turns federal student aid on and off. Lose it, and […]
NASFAA Charlotte Etier and Jill Desjean February 4, 2026 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) contained a new accountability framework to hold institutions of higher education responsible for their graduates’ earnings. In early January 2026, the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee reached consensus on […]
Campus Reform Sophia Chavarria February 2, 2026 Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed restructuring California’s education governance as part of his 2026–27 state budget, shifting operational control of the California Department of Education to a board appointed by the governor. Newsom announced the proposal Jan. 8 in a press release, outlining plans to […]
Cal Matters Adam Echelman and Erica Yee February 3, 2026 When commercial truck drivers are speeding down California’s highways and interstates with thousands of pounds of cargo in tow, a single mistake can be catastrophic. Yet California fails to regulate most of the schools that train truck drivers, allowing nearly […]
Higher Ed Dive Ben Unglesbee January 30, 2026 At this week’s Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s conference, leaders shared how they’re trying to chart a path forward amid political uncertainty. WASHINGTON — After a tumultuous year for the higher education sector, accreditors — the quality-control bodies that act as gatekeepers […]