HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

December 16, 2025

The Chronicle of Higher Education looks at the Trump administration's efforts to reshape college accreditation...The Department of Education launched a  $15 million grant program to promote the development of systems that track credentials, employment records, and skills of students and graduates, Inside Higher Ed reports... Nine in 10 international students reported being fearful about their student visa status, according to a new survey... Alexander Mayer, MDRC's director of postsecondary education, writes in The Hechinger Report that workforce Pell could be highly beneficial for students so long as proper supports are implemented.

Trump’s Higher-Ed Policy Fight
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Dec. 15, 2025

Education Department Creates $15M Fund for Talent Marketplaces
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 16, 2025

Nine in 10 International Students Fear for U.S. Visa Status
The PIE | Dec. 15, 2025

Opinion: Workforce Pell Can Lead to Good Jobs for Students if They Get the Support Needed for Long-Term Success
The Hechinger Report | Dec. 16, 2025

December 15, 2025

The Brown University community is reeling in the aftermath of a mass shooting on campus, President Christina Paxson said... A negotiated rulemaking panel agreed on proposed regulations that would allow students to use Pell Grants at some short-term programs, Inside Higher Ed reports... A bipartisan coalition of over 100 lawmakers is calling on the Education Department to designate nursing as a professional degree, The Hill reports... Cuts to graduate federal financial aid have left universities working to figure out how to help students access graduate programs, Inside Higher Ed reports... An essay in The Conversation explores how the NIH became a cornerstone of U.S. research and the risks of slashing its funding.

Shooter in Brown University Mass Shooting Still on the Run as Authorities Release Detained Perso
The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Dec. 15, 2025

Consensus Reached on Workforce Pell, Earnings Test Looms
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 15, 2025

December 12, 2025

Several college presidents spoke with ABC News about challenges facing higher education and the future of the sector... Republicans on a House education committee advanced two bills aimed at improving financial aid transparency, Inside Higher Ed reports... Jabari Simama, former president of Georgia Piedmont Technical College, details in Governing the harm federal cuts will have on students attending community colleges and Minority-Serving Institutions.... Willamette University and Pacific University announced plans to merge... After 38 years of service, Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. will step down in 2027, Al.com reports.

University Presidents Reflect on Academic Freedom amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Higher Education
ABC News | Dec. 11, 2025

House Ed Committee Advances Financial Aid Transparency Bills
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 12, 2025

The Shortchanging of Vital Institutions of Higher Ed
Governing | Dec. 12, 2025

Willamette, Pacific Universities Announce Plan to Merge
Oregon Public Radio | Dec. 11, 2025

Alabama College President, Longest-Serving in Us, to Step Down
AL.com | Dec. 11, 2025


December 11, 2025

The Los Angeles Times looks at the myriad and intensified challenges undocumented students are facing under the Trump administration... The Department of Education issued a request for information on accreditation, Inside Higher Ed reports... The vast majority of employers believe colleges and universities are adequately preparing students for the workforce, according to a new report... AI and the politicization of higher education are the two most consequential trends shaping the sector since 2000, according to 50 higher education leaders surveyed by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

DACA Was Once a Lifeline for Undocumented Youth. It’s Leaving the Next Generation Behind
Los Anageles Times (sub. req.) | Dec. 11, 2025

ED Seeks Public Comment on Accreditation Reform
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 11, 2025

Most Employers Confident in Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 11, 2025

The Quarter-Century Project
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Dec. 10, 2025

December 10, 2025

Canada is expanding efforts to recruit international researchers amid concerns that U.S. research and immigration cuts are weakening the country’s global competitiveness, The New York Times reports... The Trump administration reached a settlement that would formally end the Biden-era SAVE student loan repayment plan, forcing millions of borrowers to shift to another repayment option, The Washington Post reports... Talks on how to expand the Pell Grant to short-term workforce training programs are progressing with no critical areas of disagreement emerging midway through this week's rulemaking panel, Inside Higher Ed reports... NPR covers why a record number of students are applying for financial aid this year.

‘Come North!’ Canada Makes Play for H-1B Visa Holders With New Talent Drive
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Dec. 9, 2025

Trump Administration Strikes Deal to End Biden’s Student Loan Repayment Plan
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Dec. 9, 2025

What to Know About Workforce Pell Talks
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 10, 2025

Why a Record Number of Students Applied for Federal Financial Aid This Year
NPR | Dec. 10, 2025

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