HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

December 11, 2024

A new report found that Black and Hispanic borrowers are more likely than White borrowers to default on their student loans... A record high number of students applied to the University of Texas for the third year in a row, buoyed by an increase in out of state applicants, according to the Austin American-Statesman... Thousands of students, faculty, and staff at Pepperdine University sheltered in place on campus as wildfires raged in Malibu Tuesday, reports The New York Times.

Report: Racial Inequities Play a Role in Loan Default Disparities
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 11, 2024

University of Texas Admission Applications Again Break Record, Out-Of-State Interest Rises
Austin American-Statesman (sub. req.) | Dec. 11, 2024

Panic at Pepperdine University in Malibu as Wildfires Threaten City
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Dec. 10, 2024

December 10, 2024

Two credit rating agencies forecasted a blend of financial challenges and opportunities for institutions in the coming year, Higher Ed Dive reports... Inside Higher Ed looks at new analysis that indicates students who are engaged in campus activities are less likely to stop out.

How Will Colleges Fare Financially in 2025? It Depends.
Higher Ed Dive | Dec. 9, 2024

Could Campus Activity Involvement Keep Students in College?
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 10, 2024

December 9, 2024

A federal judge ruled Friday that the U.S. Naval Academy can continue considering race in admissions... According to The Hechinger Report, some states are developing systems to automatically provide aid to students that need it even if they don’t complete the FAFSA... International students and students from mixed-status families are reconsidering when to enter the country and whether to apply for aid ahead of President-elect Trump’s second term, USA Today writes... A major college accreditor may remove language about DEI from its list of standards institutions must meet, The Chronicle of Higher Education reports.

Naval Academy Can Consider Race in Admissions, Federal Judge Rules
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Dec. 6, 2024

Forget FAFSA, Says One State. We Got You
The Hechinger Report | Dec. 9, 2024

Trump’s Immigration Rhetoric Is Already Impacting College Students
USA Today | Dec. 8, 2024

Major Accreditor Proposes Cutting DEI Language From Its Standards
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Dec. 6, 2024

December 6, 2024

Inside Higher Ed reports House Republicans plan to vote as soon as next week on the College Cost Reduction Act, which includes new accountability measures for institutions... The University of Michigan will waive tuition for students whose families earn up to $125,000 beginning this fall... According to The Boston Globe, Massachusetts’ board of higher education is considering letting institutions offer three-year bachelor’s degrees.

House Republicans Aim to Pass Higher Ed Overhaul
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 6, 2024

U-M Expands Tuition-Free Program to Students From Families Earning Up to $125K
Detroit Free Press | Dec. 5, 2024

Could Mass. College Students Get Three-Year Bachelor’s Degrees? A State Board Is Considering It.
The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Dec. 5, 2024

December 5, 2024

Community colleges are driving an increase in college graduation rates, Marketplace reports... Brown University announced several initiatives to help diversify the student body while adhering to the Supreme Court’s ban on race-conscious admissions... Howard University will likely become an R1 university under next year’s updated Carnegie Classifications, and more HBCUs will likely follow in the near future, Inside Higher Ed writes... A new analysis predicts an increase in college closures as the population of traditional-age college students declines.

College Graduation Rates Are Up. We Can Thank Community Colleges.
Marketplace | Dec. 4, 2024

Brown University Ramps Up Efforts to Improve Diversity on Campus
The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Dec. 4, 2024

Howard Expects to Gain R-1 Status. Other HBCUs Will Follow.
Inside Higher Ed | Dec. 5, 2024

College Closures Could Increase Sharply in the Face of the Demographic Cliff
Higher Ed Dive | Dec. 5, 2024

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