HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

September 21, 2026

The New York Times reports that the Trump administration is drafting an executive order that would put the NIH portfolio's awards under the purview of a new external committee. . .Inside Higher Ed reports how significant changes to the federal student loan program are beginning to impact students. . .Forbes covers proposed changes to accreditation and why students and families should care about the issue. . .The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights how new Workforce Pell Grants are being slowly rolled out at universities across the country. . .

White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants

The New York Times (sub. req.) | September 20, 2026

Under New Loan Limits, Students Struggle to Finance Final Year
Inside Higher Ed (sub. req.) | September 21, 2026

The Accreditation Fight Over Who Controls Higher Education
Forbes | September 19, 2026

Workforce Pell’s Slow Rollout
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | September 18, 2026

September 18, 2026

Inside Higher Ed covers a new class action lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health for changes to the grant screening process. . .The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the Trump administration’s communications and relationship with the higher ed community while attempting to curb foreign influence. . .The PIE News focuses on ACE’s latest Pulse Point survey and the concerns that senior higher ed leaders have regarding international students, federal funding, and more. . .

Researchers Accuse NIH of Viewpoint Discrimination in New Class Action Lawsuit

Inside Higher Ed (sub. req.) | September 18, 2026

Are Foreign Ties Just the Latest Excuse to Punish Colleges?
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | September 17, 2026

International Student Declines Hit US College Revenues, Survey Finds
The PIE News | September 17, 2026

September 17, 2026

Higher Ed Dive covers new data released from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center that shows an increase in high school graduates who enrolled in college. . .Inside Higher Ed reports that some HBCUs have experienced a record increase in applications and enrollment in recent years. . .Business Insider highlights how institutions are adjusting their student aid packages to eliminate potential debt for students. . .

College Enrollment Rate Among Recent High School Graduates Ticks Up

Higher Ed Dive | September 17, 2026

Many HBCUs Thrive as Other Institutions Struggle to Enroll Enough Students
Inside Higher Ed | September 17, 2026

The Number of Colleges Getting Rid of Student Debt is Growing
Business Insider | September 16, 2026

September 16, 2026

Inside Higher Ed points to higher ed leaders’ responses to ACE’s Pulse Point survey when reporting on how accreditation changes may impact campuses. . .Higher Ed Dive covers a new rule proposed by DHS that would eliminate the 60-day grace period for holders of nonimmigrant visa like H1-B visas and student visas. . .Politico reports that the Protect College Sports Act has advanced through the Senate. . .

Will Trump’s Accreditation Revamp Force Campus Changes?

Inside Higher Ed (sub. req.) | September 16, 2026

DHS Proposes End to 60-Day H-1B Grace Period, Calling it a ‘Burden’
Higher Ed Dive | September 16, 2026

College Sports Bill Moves Forward in Senate with Democratic Support
Politico | September 15, 2026

September 15, 2026

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s policy ending duration of status. . .The Washington Post explores advice from parents on helping their children pay for college. . .Inside Higher Ed covers a new bill in Congress that was introduced this week that would cap the number of international student athletes playing in varsity college sports. . .

Federal Rule Sharply Limiting Student Visas Is Blocked in Court

The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | September 14, 2026

Scholarships, 529 Plans and More: Parents Share Tips on Paying for College
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | September 15, 2026

Republican Bill Aims to Cap Numbers of International Student Athletes
Inside Higher Ed (sub. req.) | September 15, 2026

News RoomACE In the News

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ACE Op-Eds

New School Year Brings Major Financial Uncertainty for Students
Inside Higher Ed | Aug 17, 2026
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

The Debate Over Foreign Money in Higher Education
The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | Sept. 7, 2026
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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