HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

February 21, 2025

The Associated Press and Inside Higher Ed report on today’s hearing in which a federal judge will hear arguments on the National Institutes of Health’s directive to cut federal spending on research… A Senate committee voted along party lines to advance Linda McMahon's nomination to be Secretary of Education… Inside Higher Ed reports on how federal staff cuts are impacting Tribal Colleges… The Los Angeles Times reports on why Chinese students still want to come to the United States for college.

Huge Cuts in National Institutes of Health Research Funding go Before a Federal Judge
Associated Press | Feb. 21, 2025

Ahead of Court Hearing, Chaos Reigns at NIH
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 21, 2025

McMahon’s Nomination Advances to the Senate Floor
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 20, 2025

Federally Run Tribal Colleges Reel From Staff Cuts
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 21, 2025

Why Chinese Students Still Want to Attend U.S. Universities
Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 21, 2025

February 20, 2025

Inside Higher Ed asks if Florida ending in-state tuition for undocumented students will spark a trend in other states... NPR talks to Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, president of CHEA, about the 14-day compliance deadline for the Trump ban on race-conscious programs and policies on campus... Statements from education secretary nominee Linda McMahon during her confirmation hearing conflicted with Trump’s 2020 Title IX policies, Inside Higher Ed reports... The Hechinger Report tracks the Trump administration's higher ed policies over the past month.

Has Florida Sparked a Trend of Ending In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students?
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 20, 2025

Schools, Colleges Have 2 Weeks to Ban DEI. An Education Expert Warns It Won’t Be Easy
NPR | Feb. 19, 2025

McMahon’s Title IX Comments Cause Confusion, Concerns
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 20, 2025

Tracking Trump: His Actions on Education
The Hechinger Report | Feb. 19, 2025

February 19, 2025

Higher education organizations, including ACE, are advising institutions against preemptively complying with the Education Department’s anti-DEI “Dear Colleague” letter, Inside Higher Ed reports... The Hill covers the confusion sown by the Department of Education canceling over $1 billion in contracts... According to Inside Higher Ed, many universities are freezing hiring while the federal funding they had relied on is now in question... Elaine Maimon, former chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage, denounces the Trump administration’s attacks on higher ed in The Philadelphia Citizen... Boston College has chosen John “Jack” Butler as its next president.

Higher Ed Policy Groups Push Back on Trump’s Anti-DEI Guidance
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 19, 2025

Department of Education Contract Cuts Spur ‘Chaos and Confusion’
The Hill | Feb. 19, 2025

Federal Funding Uncertainty Prompts Hiring Freezes
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 19, 2025

OPINION: “We’re Under Attack”
The Philadelphia Citizen | Feb. 19, 2025

‘Father Jack,’ a Popular Jesuit on Campus, Chosen as Boston College’s New President
The Boston Globe (sub. req.) | Feb. 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

The Department of Education issued a letter to schools Friday that warned that it would penalize schools that consider race in scholarships, hiring, and an array of other activities, giving them 14 days to comply... Inside Higher Ed reports on how colleges and universities could respond... The Washington Post writes that a federal district judge has refused to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the U.S. DOGE Service from accessing student data at the Education Department... The Trump administration slashed $600 million in grants for training teachers and education agencies, Inside Higher Ed reports... The New York Times reports that among the thousands of federal health workers laid off by the Trump administration are young scientists and public health professionals at the NIH, CDC, and FDA, sparking concerns about the nation’s ability to respond to future public health crises... President Trump signed an executive order that threatens federal funding for institutions that require students be immunized against COVID-19, the Associated Press reports.

Education Dept. Gives Schools Two Weeks to Eliminate Race-Based Programs
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 17, 2025

After Sweeping Anti-DEI Guidance, What Should Colleges Do?
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 18, 2025

Court Decision Allows DOGE to Continue Accessing Student Data
The Washington Post | (sub. req.) | Feb. 18, 2025

Trump Administration Slashes $600M in Teacher Training Grants
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 18, 2025

Trump Cuts Target Next Generation of Scientists and Public Health Leaders
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 18, 2025

Trump Calls for Withholding Federal Money From Schools and Colleges That Require COVID Vaccines
The Associated Press | Feb. 14, 2025

February 14, 2025

At Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing yesterday to lead the Department of Education, she said that the agency cannot be abolished without Congress’ approval... Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education report on some of the key topics addressed at the ACE Experience 2025.

Trump’s Education Dept. Pick Says Agency ‘Clearly Could Not Be Shut Down’ Without Congress
USA Today | Feb. 13, 2025

ACE Adopts a Fighting Stance
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 14, 2025

At Annual Meeting, Battered Presidents Are Subdued in the Face of Trump’s Funding Blitz
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Feb. 13, 2025

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