Thompson Coburn Tres Cleveland , Brandt Hill , Lorrie Hargrove , Evan Moltz , Anna S. Knouse , Alexander G. Spanos , Karolyn E. Eilertsen February 18, 2026 Welcome to the February 2026 edition of Thompson Coburn’s Higher Education Litigation Summary, your resource for timely legal updates on key rulings and ongoing cases shaping the higher education sector. Bold text indicates updates to […]
NASFAA Maria Carrasco February 19, 2026 The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday released updated data on institutions’ nonpayment rates, warning that schools could be at risk of losing access to federal student assistance due to potentially high cohort default rates (CDR). ED first released data on institutions’ nonpayment rates in July last […]
The College Investor Mark Kantrowitz February 11, 2026 Higher net price correlates with higher graduation rates, largely due to student resources and institutional spending power. Colleges serving more Pell Grant recipients have lower graduation rates, reflecting financial fragility rather than student ability. Selectivity predicts completion, because colleges admit students who […]
Inside Higher Ed Sara Custer February 12, 2026 Universities are spending more than 50 percent less on advertising than they were 10 years ago. According to data compiled by the Postsecondary Education and Economics Research Center at American University, after peaking at $1.29 billion in 2014, advertising spending by higher education institutions dropped […]
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 […]