Status of Federal Executive Actions

The second Trump administration’s executive orders have reshaped higher education policy across campuses and states, and a growing wave of legal challenges—different issues, different courts, different timelines—has made the landscape even harder to follow.

Our printable guide offers a clear, up-to-date snapshot for federal, state, and local stakeholders who need a quick reference to today’s fast-moving policy changes.

The interactive tracker lets you go deeper. You can scan the full slate of executive orders, generate your own one-pager, and use curated links to other leading executive order trackers across the field.

Last updated: November 12, 2025

Higher Education Executive Order Tracker

Search Executive Orders

Executive Order:

Eliminating Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Medicaid

Date Issued:

6/6/25

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Financial, Health & Science

Executive Order:

Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats

Date Issued:

6/4/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

Executive Order:

Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University

Date Issued:

6/4/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

Executive Order:

Restoring Gold Standard Science

Date Issued:

5/23/25

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Financial, Health & Science

Executive Order:

Protecting American Energy from State Overreach

Date Issued:

4/8/25

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Financial, Health & Science

Executive Order:

Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens

Date Issued:

4/28/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs, Financial

Executive Order:

Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future (EO #14278)

Date Issued:

4/23/25

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Financial

Executive Order:

Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities

Date Issued:

4/23/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs, Financial

Executive Order:

White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Date Issued:

4/23/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Health & Science

Executive Order:

Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education

Date Issued:

4/23/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Government & Education

Executive Order:

Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy

Date Issued:

4/23/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI

Executive Order:

America First Investment Policy

Date Issued:

4/21/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

Executive Order:

Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness (EO #14235)

Date Issued:

3/7/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs, Financial

Executive Order:

Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities (EO #14242)

Date Issued:

3/20/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Government & Education, Financial

Executive Order:

Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy (EO #14238)

Date Issued:

3/14/25

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Financial

Executive Order:

Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports (EO #14201)

Date Issued:

2/5/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Government & Education

Executive Order:

Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Cost Efficiency Initiatives

Date Issued:

2/26/25

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Government & Education

Executive Order:

Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Deregulatory Initiative

Date Issued:

2/19/25

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Government & Education

Executive Order:

Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders

Date Issued:

2/19/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs, Financial

Executive Order:

Keeping Education Accessible and Ending COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in Schools

Date Issued:

2/15/25

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Financial, Health & Science

Executive Order:

Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative

Date Issued:

2/11/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Government & Education

Executive Order:

Office of Management and Budget Memo on “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs”

Date Issued:

1/27/25

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Financial

Executive Order:

Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (EO #14173)

Date Issued:

1/21/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI

Executive Order:

Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government (EO #14168)

Date Issued:

1/20/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Financial

Executive Order:

Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (EO #14151)

Date Issued:

1/20/25

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Civil/Human Rights & DEI

Executive Order:

Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions (EO #14148)

Date Issued:

1/20/25

Filter by Impact Area:

Civil/Human Rights & DEI, Foreign/Global Affairs, Health & Science

Executive Order:

Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats

Date Issued:

1/20/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

Executive Order:

America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State

Date Issued:

1/20/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

Executive Order:

Protecting the American People Against Invasion

Date Issued:

1/20/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

Executive Order:

Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid

Date Issued:

1/20/25

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Foreign/Global Affairs

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Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President

Government Relations and National Engagement

Jonathan Fansmith is the senior vice president for Government Relations and National Engagement at the American Council on Education (ACE), where he leads federal advocacy efforts on behalf of the nation's colleges and universities. He oversees ACE's e...

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President

Government Relations and National Engagement

Heidi Tseu

Assistant Vice President

National Engagement

Heidi Tseu is a higher education and government relations professional with experience executing public policy strategies and community engagement initiatives. She comes to ACE from Georgetown University, where she was the associate vice president for...

Heidi Tseu

Assistant Vice President

National Engagement

Danielle Melidona

Senior Analyst & Program Officer

Danielle Melidona is a senior analyst and program officer at the American Council on Education (ACE), where she leads a portfolio of research and policy analysis activities that provide timely, data-driven insights to inform strategy and decision-makin...

Danielle Melidona

Senior Analyst & Program Officer

Higher Education & the Trump Administration

Follow key Trump administration actions affecting higher education, with executive orders, agency guidance, and ACE coverage.

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National Engagement

ACE's Office of National Engagement connects campuses, coalitions, and communities to navigate shifting state policy and strengthen the value of higher education nationwide.

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Status of Federal Executive Actions

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