Higher education news covering universities, college admissions, tuition, academic research, campus news, and higher ed policy.
Department of Education data reveals 527 donations from Chinese entities totaling $309 million, including $42 million from Huawei. Expert Jeffrey Stoff says enforcement of reporting rules will increase.
The author, a college instructor, argues that parents should teach incoming freshmen key skills before college, including self-advocacy, self-defense, and boundary-setting. She contends that these lessons help students succeed academically and socially, and that parents should avoid intervening on their behalf.
The author argues that the politicization of University of California campuses, particularly through anti-Israel activism embedded in academic units, endangers life-saving research by risking federal funding and collaboration. He contends that institutional practices targeting Jewish students create hostile environments and threaten STEM and medical programs.
Harvard University is launching a major reorganization expected to result in hundreds of staff cuts and job changes to address a projected $365 million structural deficit. The deficit has been exacerbated by Trump administration funding disruptions and an endowment-tax hike.
The author, president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, argues that rebuilding public trust in higher education requires including perspectives from regional public institutions, not just elite ones. He contends that competency-based education, as implemented at his institution, maintains rigor while aligning financial and educational incentives, challenging the assumption that time equals learning.
U.S. states are creating or expanding programs to offer graduate student loans, responding to a Republican budget bill that reduced federal graduate loan availability. This move aims to address the funding gap for graduate education.
This commentary argues that Hong Kong students can benefit from taking a gap year after the DSE exams, as universities increasingly value holistic experiences. It suggests that internships, volunteer work, or exchanges help build soft skills and stand out in a competitive environment, but emphasizes the need for clear goals.
An Australian National University academic criticized the university's response to AI cheating as 'hysterical' as universities rush to secure assessments. ANU released a consultation paper proposing options like classifying assessments as 'secure' or 'insecure' and requiring AI use declarations. A 2025 index found 78.9% of students use generative AI.
This commentary argues that the widely discussed 'enrollment cliff' in US higher education is actually a gradual decline, not a sudden drop. It contends that demographic shifts will reduce the number of 18-year-olds by about 1% annually, creating a slow financial slide for many colleges, though elite institutions will remain unaffected.
This commentary argues that Hong Kong's DSE students face limited public university places and explores alternative pathways such as self-financing institutions with government subsidies. It suggests that students should consider these options to pursue higher education despite competitive entry requirements.