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Short-Term Pell Is Law. Now the Real Work Begins.

Real Clear Education 

Steve Taylor

August 19, 2025

From debates over student loan forgiveness to the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Education, the federal government’s role in postsecondary education has become a partisan flashpoint. Often lost in the noise, however, are the students themselves—and the surprising ways both Republicans and Democrats are increasingly aligned to support them.

The recent reconciliation bill was no exception, drawing intense scrutiny and sparking sharp disagreement across ideological lines. And yet, tucked within that highly controversial package was a rare point of bipartisan consensus: expanding federal financial aid to include short-term, workforce-focused training programs.

After years of advocacy and cross-aisle support, short-term Pell is finally a reality. Now the real challenge begins. Colleges and training providers will need to mobilize quickly to deliver high-quality programs that have long existed outside the bounds of traditional institutions and beyond the reach of public funding.

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San Joaquin Valley College Expands to Arizona with New Phoenix Trades Education Center

Yahoo Finance

August 19, 2025

PHOENIX, Ariz., Aug. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is proud to announce the opening of its newest campus – the SJVC Phoenix Trades Education Center (TEC). Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this campus marks the college’s first expansion outside of California and is part of a broader programmatic alignment between SJVC and its sister school, Carrington College.

Previously operating as the Carrington College Phoenix TEC, the campus has officially transitioned to SJVC following the realignment of programs between the two colleges. This programmatic alignment allows SJVC to focus exclusively on trades and business career education while Carrington College centers its efforts on allied health and medical programs.

“We’re excited to bring SJVC’s trades education to Arizona for the first time with the introduction of our Phoenix campus,” said President of SJVC, Robyn Whiles. “This alignment and expansion into Arizona allow us to focus our resources on delivering quality, hands-on training in trades programs that help prepare students for meaningful careers.”

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California lawmakers rush to pass key education bills before deadline

Ed Source

August 20, 2025

Legislators returned to the statehouse this week for the four-week dash to decide which bills should be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature. They’ll have until Aug. 29 to get an up or down vote in either the Senate or House appropriations committees and then until Sept. 12 to send legislation to Newsom’s desk.

Most bills that get this far stand a good chance of passage. But you may waste your dollars wagering on several contentious education bills still being negotiated. One would define antisemitism and set restrictions on its content in schools; two others, which may merge into one, would add oversight and tighten rules on preventing fraud in hybrid and online charter schools.

Here are summaries of a dozen K-12 and higher education bills worth watching.

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Tracking College Closures and Mergers

Best Colleges 

Evan Castillo and Lyss Welding

August 13, 2025

The number of nonprofit colleges and universities closing keeps ticking higher. Find historical data about college closures and a list of closed colleges and mergers.

Data Summary

At least 81 public or nonprofit colleges have closed, merged, or announced closures or mergers since March 2020.

Over 40 have closed or announced closures.

We estimate that roughly 50,110 students have been impacted by private nonprofit college closures since 2020.

For-profit colleges led closure rates from 2012-2019.^[1]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, private nonprofit colleges and universities have increasingly closed.^[1]

New predictive modeling from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has identified more closures ahead in the event of a drastic enrollment cliff.^[2]

Across the country, colleges are increasingly shuttering as enrollment continues to decline due to natural population trends and higher operating costs.

At the end of 2024, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia developed a model to predict college closures, estimating that up to 80 colleges could close next year due to financial distress following a worst-case-scenario drop in enrollment.^[2]

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