HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week

March 4, 2025

The Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as education secretary Monday afternoon... The Supreme Court declined to hear a case from conservative students challenging a university program to report bias allegations... Inside Higher Ed examines a new FAQ from the Education Department that narrows the scope of its anti-DEI letter... NIH grant funding is at its lowest level in nine years, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.

Senate Confirms Trump Pick Linda McMahon to Lead the Department of Education
USA Today | March 3, 2025

Supreme Court Won’t Hear a Challenge to College Programs for Reporting Bias Allegations
The Associated Press | March 3, 2025

What Does the Education Department’s DEI Guidance Really Mean?
Inside Higher Ed | March 4, 2025

NIH Research Grants Fall to 9-Year Low, Bringing Worry of ‘Very Dark Times’
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | March 3, 2025

March 3, 2025

The Education Department has issued an FAQ document that attempts to clarify its directive on the use of race in higher education and K-12 programs and policies, according to The Washington Post... The future of numerous researchers’ work is in doubt as the federal government attempts to slash funding, Inside Higher Ed writes... NPR spoke to international students who are wary of increased scrutiny of their speech and expression under the Trump administration... The Justice Department said a federal task force to combat antisemitism will visit ten college campuses this week to investigate allegations of antisemitism, The Minnesota Star Tribune and Los Angeles Times report.

Education Dept. Softens Controversial Guidance on Race and Schools
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | March 1, 2025

Researchers in ‘Limbo’ as Trump Battles Courts
Inside Higher Ed | March 3, 2025

Foreign Students Say the Threat of Trump’s Executive Orders Is Getting Real
NPR | March 3, 2025

Trump Administration Antisemitism Task Force Says It Will Visit UCLA, USC
Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 28, 2025

Federal Task Force Will Visit University of Minnesota to Investigate Claims of Antisemitism
The Minnesota Star Tribune (sub. req.) | March 1, 2025

February 28, 2025

Institutions are trying to determine what they need to do to comply with the Education Department’s anti-DEI letter by its Feb. 28 deadline, according to Inside Higher Ed... The Los Angeles Times reports that after a state law required the University of Utah to cut funding for minority student affinity groups, students feel less welcome... Student loan borrowers may not be able to access income-driven repayment plans for months, The Washington Post writes... University research labs have had to close after losing USAID funding... The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the Temple President John Fry has reassured the community with quick responses to several criminal incidents involving the university.

Wary Colleges Scramble to Meet DEI Deadline
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 28, 2025

Strict Utah Law Cut DEI From Colleges. Affected Students Say They No Longer Feel Valued
Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 28, 2025

It Could Be Months Before Affordable Student Loan Repayment Plans Return
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Feb. 28, 2025

USAID Cuts Hit University Research, Including Respected Soybean Labs
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 28, 2025

Temple’s Been Part of Several High-Profile Crime Incidents Recently. President John Fry Is Getting High Marks for Communication.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (sub. req.) | Feb. 28, 2025

February 27, 2025

Inside Higher Ed and the Associated Press look at how institutions are interpreting and reacting to the Trump administration’s anti-DEI “Dear Colleague” letter... According to USA Today, DOGE inflated the amount of money it cut in Department of Education contracts... The Chronicle of Higher Education spoke with a Rutgers University professor who is tracking delayed meetings for NIH grant applications... Inside Higher Ed examines the latest updates on lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Trump Is Targeting DEI in Higher Ed. But What Does He Mean?
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 27, 2025

As Trump’s Deadline To Eliminate DEI Nears, Few Schools Openly Rush To Make Changes
The Associated Press | Feb. 27, 2025

DOGE Said It Cut $881 Million at the Education Department. The Real Savings Are Much Less.
USA Today | Feb. 26, 2025

NIH Funding Is at a Standstill. This Professor Is Tracking the Delays.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Feb. 26, 2025

Tracking Key Lawsuits Against the Trump Administration
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 26, 2025

February 26, 2025

A New York Times opinion piece warns that the Department of Education's Dear Colleague Letter demanding that colleges stop all race-conscious programming and student support by Feb. 28 will have serious consequences for higher education... The American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association have filed a federal lawsuit challenging ED's DEI directive... The latest Inside Higher Ed survey of college and university presidents reveals weak support for tenure, strong confidence in financial stability, and ongoing concerns about student mental health... Deep cuts in federal research funding, particularly limits on NIH overhead costs, could significantly impact college-town economies, cutting jobs and causing a projected $6.1 billion economic loss, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education... The Hill writes that the Trump administration has reopened applications for a federal scholarship that aids studying agriculture at historically Black universities after outcry from lawmakers over its abrupt suspension last week... Student loan borrowers can no longer apply for income-driven repayment plans after the Trump administration paused applications, according to Inside Higher Ed.

OPINION: The Department of Education Threatens to Pull the Plug on Colleges
The New York Times (sub. req.) | Feb. 26, 2025

Teachers Union Files Lawsuit over Trump’s Crackdown on Race, DEI in Schools
The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Feb. 25, 2025

Survey: What Presidents Really Think
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 26, 2025

NIH Funding Cuts Could Have Ripple Effects on College-Town Economies
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub. req.) | Feb. 25, 2025

Under Pressure, White House Reinstates HBCU Scholars Program
The Hill | Feb. 25, 2025

Applications for Some Student Loan Repayment Plans Frozen
Inside Higher Ed | Feb. 26, 202