HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

December 1, 2025

A steep decline in international student enrollment could cost the United States $1 billion, CNBC reports... Students enrolled in some short-term programs will soon be able to use Pell Grants to cover their tuition, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports... The Hechinger Report looks at how the Trump administration has upended federal education research and statistics.

Fewer International Students Are Enrolling at U.S. Colleges, Which Could Cost the Country $1 Billion, Reports Find
CNBC | Nov. 30, 2025

How a New Law Could Change the Way Low-Income Students Access College
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Nov. 26, 2025

How Trump 2.0 Upended Education Research and Statistics in One Year
The Hechinger Report | Dec. 1, 2025

November 26, 2025

The Los Angeles Times looks at the furor over a Trump administration proposal that could limit access to federal loans for some students pursuing graduate degrees, including nursing, because the government would no longer label their studies as “professional” programs. . .ACE President Ted Mitchell talks about the dangers of the Trump administration's proposed "compact" for higher education as part of a bonus edition of the College Uncovered podcast. . .Education Secretary Linda McMahon has appointed five new members to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, writes Inside Higher Ed. . .State University System of Florida institutions collectively plan to terminate 18 academic programs and suspend another eight after reviewing how many degrees they award, reports Higher Ed Dive. . .The Chronicle of Higher Education interviews conservative legal scholar and moral philosopher Robert P. George. . .

Why Outrage is Erupting Over Trump Plan to Exclude Nursing from ‘Professional’ Designation
Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) | Nov. 26, 2025

The New College Compact
College Uncovered | Nov. 26, 2025

Education Department Names Five New Accreditation Advisers
Inside Higher Ed | Nov. 25, 2025

Florida Public Universities Plan to Cut at Least 18 Academic Programs
Higher Ed Dive | Nov. 24, 2025

Robert P. George and the Great Campus Vibe Shift
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Nov. 24, 2025

November 25, 2025

In separate stories, Politico highlights the risks posed to students and educators by the Education Department’s splintering and the error-filled transfer of one of its programs to the Labor Department... An array of higher education stakeholders, including ACE President Ted Mitchell, have defended the University of Pennsylvania's refusal to disclose Jewish faculty and student names to the Trump administration, Inside Higher Ed reports... A majority of U.S. institutions reported declining undergraduate international student enrollment, with 85 percent of respondents citing visa restrictions and government policies as a major barrier, according to a new survey... An NPR podcast and a New York Times essay explore how AI is reshaping higher education.

Who Could Be Left Behind in Ed Split
Politico | Nov. 24, 2025

The Education Department Gave Another Agency Power To Distribute Its Money. It Hasn’t Gone Well.
Politico | Nov. 24, 2025

Employees Rally Around Penn’s Refusal to Disclose Jewish Faculty, Student Names
Inside Higher Ed | Nov. 25, 2025

Survey: Most U.S. Universities Saw Dips in Intl. Enrollment
Inside Higher Ed | Nov. 25, 2025

Higher Education’s AI Problem
NPR | Nov. 23, 2025

I’m a Professor. A.I. Has Changed My Classroom, but Not for the Worse.
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Nov. 25, 2025

November 24, 2025

Proposed federal regulations would limit the amount of financial aid available to nursing students, USA Today reports... John King, Chancellor of State University of New York, spoke with NPR about the Trump administration's dismantling of the Education Department... International enrollment declined at nearly two dozen Illinois universities, with some seeing large drops after the Trump administration tightened student visa policies, the Chicago Tribune reports... Federal funding cuts have made it more challenging for college access programs to support students, JPR reports.

Next Generation of Nurses at Risk With Proposed Student Loan Caps
USA Today (sub. Req.) | Nov. 21, 2025

How Education Department Changes Could Affect Students
NPR | Nov. 21, 2025

International Student Enrollment Declines at Nearly Two Dozen Illinois Universities
Chicago Tribune | Nov. 24, 2025

Federal Cuts Strain College Access Programs in the Pacific Northwest
JPR | Nov. 23, 2025

November 21, 2025

While the restructuring at the Education Department doesn’t involve the federal student loan portfolio, experts warn the instability could still harm borrowers, CNBC reports... Tribal leaders and education advocates said the Education Department failed to meet a statutory requirement by not consulting with tribes before announcing the transfer of Native American education programs to other federal agencies, the Associated Press reports... The number of National Science Foundation grants fell this year by 20 percent, though the cumulative funding total remained steady, Science reports... WABE reports on the challenges DACA recipients and DACA-eligible people still face as the program remains in legal limbo... The New York Times looks at the enduring success and value of college radio stations.

Education Department Restructuring Plan Doesn’t Involve Student Debt. Still, Experts Are Worried
CNBC | Nov. 20, 2025

Tribal Leaders Say Trump Administration Failed To Consult With Them on Education Department Changes
Associated Press | Nov. 20, 2025

Despite Trump Chaos, NSF Avoided Feared Dip in Research Financing
Science | Nov. 19, 2025

Stuck in a DACA Tug of War, Young College Educated Georgia Residents’ Lives Are Stalled
WABE | Nov. 20, 2025

College Radio Keeps Its Cool
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Nov. 20, 2025

News RoomACE In the News

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ACE Op-Eds

Trump’s ‘Compact’ Is Bad for Colleges – And Bad for America
U.S. News | Oct. 20, 2025
Americans Need to Work Together to Fix Education. We’ve Both Done It Before on Opposite Sides
Fox News | July 9, 2025
Here’s Why We Cannot Permit America’s Partnership With Higher Education to Weaken or Dissolve
The Hechinger Report | March 18, 2025
The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty
Inside Higher Ed | July 2, 2024
Protect, Teach, Enforce
Inside Higher Ed | June 25, 2024
AI Can Transform the Classroom Just Like the Calculator
Scientific American | April 17, 2024
There’s a Temporary Fix to the FAFSA Mess — All Colleges Must Extend Decision Deadlines
The Hechinger Report | March 26, 2024
Answering the Call
Inside Higher Ed | March 19, 2024
Every FAFSA Delay Puts College Further Out of Reach
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 8, 2024
Don’t Dash Opportunity for America’s College Students
The Hill | Aug. 16, 2023
‘Fire the Accreditors’ Is a Bad—and Illegal—Idea
Inside Higher Ed | June 28, 2023
This Is How To Keep Academic Freedom Alive in America
Newsweek | March 23, 2023
Why U.S. News May Have to Rethink How It Creates College Rankings
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Sept. 14, 2022
Canceling Student Loan Debt Is Just the Start
The Hill | July 1, 2022
Want to Reduce Hunger Among College Students? Stop Taxing Their Pell Grants
The Hill | Feb. 10, 2022
Doubling the Pell Grant Invests in America's Future
The Hill | Sept. 3, 2021
Making Equity Everyone’s Work
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education | March 31, 2021
Dropping the Ball
Inside Higher Ed | March 4, 2021
The Quickest And Most Effective Way Biden Can Help Millions of Americans Go to College
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Jan. 30, 2021
Liberal, Conservative or Somewhere in the Middle?
Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 19, 2020
Should Congress Provide Additional Pandemic Relief for Colleges and Universities?
CQ Researcher | Sept. 11, 2020
The Biggest Danger to U.S. Higher Education? Losing 20 Years’ Worth of Gains in Access for First-generation and Minority Students
The Hechinger Report | Aug. 11, 2020
Our Country's Future Education Depends on Actions Congress Takes
The Hill | July 20, 2020
Why Trump’s Move to Force International Students to Take In-person Classes This Fall Is Being Blasted as Harmful
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | July 8, 2020
Supreme Court Has Ruled on DACA, Now It's Time for Congress to Act
The Hill | June 20, 2020
College Closings, Economic Upheaval Make a Case for Blockchain Adoption
Education Dive | June 18, 2020
Are Campus Leaders Prepared for the Impact of the Racial Crisis?
Inside Higher Ed | June 15, 2020
College in a Pandemic is Tough Enough — Without Reliable Broadband Access, It’s Nearly Impossible
The Hechinger Report | June 9, 2020
How College Students Can Help Reopen America
Inside Higher Ed | May 18, 2020
A Call for Ideas to Help Student Parents Succeed During and After COVID-19
Education Dive | May 6, 2020
The Courage of Medical Students
Inside Higher Ed | April 20, 2020
University Research is Key to COVID-19 Breakthroughs, Serving the Public Good
The Hill | March 23, 2020
Safeguarding Research on Campuses Against Foreign Threats
Inside Higher Ed | March 9, 2020
In Appreciation of a Public Servant
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 9, 2019
Mental Health Challenges Require Urgent Response
Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 29, 2019
Guns on America's Campuses: Let the Colleges Decide
The Hill | Sept. 9, 2019
The Invisible China Threat: University Intellectual Property
The Hill | July 30, 2019
Ending the Stigma for College Students With Learning Disabilities
The Hechinger Report | July 16, 2019
Providing Prisoners With Expanded Access to Higher Education Is the Smart Thing to Do
The Hill | July 5, 2019
No Retreat
Inside Higher Ed | June 10, 2019
Ted Mitchell: Congress Must Act to Protect Dreamers Still Living in Legal Limbo
Fox News | May 21, 2019
Taxing College Scholarships: A Travesty to Low-income and Middle-class Students
The Hill | May 20, 2019
Black Students' 'Unprecedented and Unequal' College Debt Should Cause Alarm
The Hechinger Report | Feb. 19, 2019
Congress Must End the Purgatory for ‘Dreamers’
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Nov. 9, 2018
Higher Education Must Clean Out Its ‘Front Porch’
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | April 25, 2018
Only in America
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 15, 2018
FCC’s Proposed Internet Rules Could Raise College Costs and Hinder Free Exchange of Ideas
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Dec. 8, 2017
The House GOP Tax Bill Would Raise the Cost of College. We Can’t Let That Happen.
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Nov. 6, 2017
Why Most Republicans Don’t Like Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education | July 19, 2017
History, Moral Leadership, and Georgetown
The Washington Post | April 26, 2017
The Supreme Court Frees Colleges to Sensibly Pursue Diversity
The Chronicle of Higher Education | June 24, 2016

Letters to the Editor

Higher Education Must Rediscover Its Purpose
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | Jan. 29, 2024
Don’t Blame Student Loan Debt on the Few Schools With Large Endowments
The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Sept. 11, 2022
College Is Worth It
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Oct. 29, 2021
The Harsh New Reality Schools Are Facing on Title IX
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | May 24, 2020
The Flaw in a Higher Education Bill
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Dec. 1, 2019
How Long Will ‘Dreamers’ Have to Live in Limbo?
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | July 30, 2019
Readers Critique The Post: Ageism, Skateboarding, and the International Space Station
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | July 5, 2019
Blame the NBA, Not the NCAA, for Big-Time Athletes’ Dilemma
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Feb. 25, 2019
Weighing the Value of College
The New York Times (sub. req.) | May 26, 2018
Feds Must Help Colleges Reform and Change
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | May 23, 2018
Making College More Diverse Takes Hard, Customized Work
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | April 2, 2018
How to Assess What Students Have Learned
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 26, 2018
Tulane’s 41% Student Sexual Assault Rate
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | Feb. 15, 2018
Should Rich College Endowments Be Taxed?
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | Nov. 20, 2017
Proposed Tax on Private College Endowments Will Hurt Students
MinnPost (MN) | Nov. 16, 2017
The Dreamers Are a Good Part of America’s Future
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | July 25, 2017

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

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ACE Op-Eds

Letters to the Editor

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