News

EAB: Higher Ed Facing Confluence of Pressures on Sector

EAB: Higher Ed Facing Confluence of Pressures on Sector

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 […]

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Education Department moves to overhaul accreditation regulations

Education Department moves to overhaul accreditation regulations

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 […]

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Santa Monica College approves dozens of layoffs to target shortfalls

Santa Monica College approves dozens of layoffs to target shortfalls

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 […]

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The College Accreditation Makeover

The College Accreditation Makeover

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 […]

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Deep Dive: Understanding Analyses of New Accountability Frameworks Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Deep Dive: Understanding Analyses of New Accountability Frameworks Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

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 […]

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Accreditors brace for more change under the Trump administration

Accreditors brace for more change under the Trump administration

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 […]

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Tech Outlook 2026: What Higher Ed Tech Leaders Expect this Year

Tech Outlook 2026: What Higher Ed Tech Leaders Expect this Year

Campus Technology  Rhea Kelly January 29, 2026 In an open call last month, we asked higher education technology leaders for their predictions on how the tech landscape will change for colleges and universities in the coming year. Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence looms large on the horizon — but advancements in […]

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