HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

October 8, 2025

Higher education leaders worry that President Trump’s new $100,000 H-1B visa fee will make it harder to hire foreign faculty and staff, The New York Times reports... Gary May, chancellor of the University of California, Davis, writes in Higher Ed Dive that public universities remain vital engines of opportunity and prosperity, and leaders must address critics’ concerns to preserve that mission... Higher ed organizations have raised alarm over the compact the Trump administration sent nine institutions, Inside Higher Ed reports, and an op-ed in USA Today criticizes the compact… The Trump administration is considering selling parts of the federal government’s student loan portfolio to private investors, Politico reports... Student support programs at community colleges are in jeopardy, after the Trump administration cut funding for Minority-Serving Institutions, EdSource reports... Cynthia Lindquist, former president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College, writes in The Conversation about the vital role Tribal Colleges and Universities play in helping Native students succeed in higher education.

Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Could Strain Universities and Schools
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Oct. 8, 2025

Don’t Let Polarization Undermine the Vital Role Colleges Play in the US
Higher Ed Dive | Oct. 8, 2025

With Compact, Universities Weigh Whether to Give Up Freedoms for Unknown Payout
Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 8, 2025

Trump’s Higher Education Compact Isn’t Conservative. It’s Federal Intimidation.
USA Today (sub. req.) | Oct. 8, 2025

Trump Administration Considers Sale of Federal Student Loan Debt
Politico | Oct. 7, 2025

Student Support Programs in Peril After Federal Cuts at Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges
EdSource | Oct. 8, 2025

Tribal Colleges and Universities Aren’t Well Known, but Are a Crucial Steppingstone for Native Students
The Conversation | Oct. 7, 2025

October 7, 2025

ACE President Ted Mitchell spoke with ABC News about the federal government's pressure campaign against higher education... The Washington Post examines how university-led research has led to the development of life-saving medical treatments... Several higher education groups filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, Higher Ed Dive reports... Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, writes in The Hechinger Report that career preparation happens as much outside the classroom as in it... Changes to the FAFSA has made issuing scholarships more difficult for scholarship providers, Inside Higher Ed reports.

Trump Admin Asks Schools To Choose: End DEI Initiatives or Forego Federal Benefits
ABC News | Oct. 6, 2025

Trump Slashed Funding for Universities That Helped Create These Vital Drugs
The Washington Post (sub. req.)| Oct. 6, 2025

Higher Ed Groups Sue Over Trump Administration’s $100K H-1B Visa Fee
Higher Ed Dive | Oct. 6, 2025

Opinion: Higher Education Must Help Shape How Students Learn, Lead and Build the Skills Employers Want Most
The Hechinger Report | Oct. 6, 2025

Scholarship Providers Say Data-Sharing Confusion Delays Awards
Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 7, 2025

October 6, 2025

The number of international students arriving in the United States in August fell by 19 percent, the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic, The New York Times reports... Inside Higher Ed reports on the reaction to the Trump administration's proposed compact for colleges and universities, including ACE President Ted Mitchell calling it "a horrible precedent..." The Education Department will resume student loan forgiveness for some borrowers, The Washington Post reports... Higher education leaders, advocates, and Education Department officials made progress toward implementing the student loan overhaul enacted in the reconciliation bill this summer, though big issues remain, Inside Higher Ed reports... A dozen of San Antonio’s colleges and universities are bracing for the loss of federal grants after the Department of Education halted the disbursement of funds for Hispanic Serving Institutions, reports the San Antonion Report.

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Oct. 5, 2025

Higher Ed Sounds Off on Proposed Compact
Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 6, 2025

Trump Administration Resumes Student Loan Forgiveness
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Oct. 4, 2025

ED Opens Door to Student Loan Cap Negotiations
Inside Higher Ed | Oct. 6, 2025

San Antonio’s Hispanic-Serving Colleges See Millions in Federal Grants Stripped Away
San Antonion Report | Oct. 5, 2025

October 3, 2025

The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Associated Press are among the outlets continuing to cover the White House's announcement it wants institutions to sign a “compact” to receive federal funding preference.

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Oct. 2, 2025

Trump Offered Universities an Invitation for a Deal. Some See a Trap.
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Oct. 2, 2025

Trump Asks 9 Colleges to Commit to his Political Agenda and Get Favorable Access to Federal Money
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Oct. 2, 2025

White House Pushes Colleges to Commit to Trump Agenda to Boost Access to Federal Funds
USA Today | Oct. 2, 2025

October 2, 2025

The Trump administration has asked some colleges to align with its preferred policies in order to gain a competitive edge in securing research funding, The Wall Street Journal reports… This year’s FAFSA process is off to a smooth start, with 125,000 applications already begun, The Hill reports… International students in California are fearful that the Trump administration’s immigration polices could impact them, EdSource reports… A new survey highlights how professors are using AI.

White House Asks Colleges to Sign Sweeping Agreement to Get Funding Advantage
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | Oct. 2, 2025

FAFSA Forms, Launched Ahead of Shutdown, Could Be in Position for ‘Record High’ Season
The Hill | Oct. 2, 2025

International Students in California Grapple With Fear of Deportation, Visa Applications
EdSource | Oct. 2, 2025

Research, Curriculum and Grading: New Data Sheds Light on How Professors Are Using AI
NPR | Oct. 2, 2025


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