Department - University Leadership Central

Scathing GAO reports blame Education Department leaders for FAFSA mess

Higher Ed Dive

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

A monthslong investigation found the department failed to properly oversee vendors and communicate with colleges and students.

Department

Department Education College Students

Federal Court Blocks Education Department's Diversity Directive, Marking Victory for Academic Freedom Advocates

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 24, 2025

Department of Education's controversial February "Dear Colleague" letter that critics had denounced as an unprecedented attempt to restrict DEI initiatives nationwide. The Department of Education has not issued a public response to the court's decision.

Department

Department Advocate Education Inclusivity

Department of Education Resumes Federal Student Loan Collections After Four-Year Pause

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

APRIL 22, 2025

Department of Education announced this week that its Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans beginning Monday, May 5, 2025, ending a pause that has been in effect since March 2020. million borrowers owing more than $1.6 million borrowers owing more than $1.6

Department Of Education

Department Of Education Department Education Students

Education Department faces freedom of information lawsuit over campus protests

Higher Ed Dive

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute alleges the department failed to turn over communications en masse as required by law.

Department

Department Education Institution University

ACTION NEEDED: Proposed Rules Student Debt Relief (US Department of Education)

Higher Education Inquirer

OCTOBER 31, 2024

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 34 CFR Part 30 [Docket ID ED–2023–OPE–0123] RIN 1840–AD95 Student Debt Relief Based on Hardship for the William D. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking The Secretary proposes to amend the regulations related to the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), to provide for the waiver of certain student loan debts.

Department Of Education

Department Of Education Department Postsecondary Education Education

Education Department reverses course on batch FAFSA corrections

Higher Ed Dive

JULY 31, 2024

The change could increase colleges’ administrative burden and leave some students without financial aid this fall, one industry association said.

Department

Department Education Administration College

AAUP, AFT sue to block Education Department dismantling

Higher Ed Dive

MARCH 24, 2025

The plaintiffs allege that the executive branch has exceeded its constitutional authority and violated law after the president’s order to wind the agency down.

Department

Department Education

Cancellation of Education Department research contracts sparks concerns

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The department didn’t provide a list of canceled contracts but said NAEP, the College Scorecard and the College Navigator were not impacted.

Department

Department Education College

330,000 FAFSAs must be reprocessed, Education Department says

Higher Ed Dive

APRIL 2, 2024

A tax data issue affecting about 5% of submitted applications will be corrected starting in early April.

Department

Department Education

Ed Department changes reporting requirements for online colleges

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 2, 2025

Colleges offering distance education programs will be required to report which students receive federal financial aid starting July 2027.

Department

Department College Education Students

Education Department officially launches 2025-26 FAFSA

Higher Ed Dive

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Agency officials struck an optimistic tone about the release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Department

Department Education Students

Education Department: 2025-26 FAFSA to fully debut by Dec. 1

Higher Ed Dive

AUGUST 7, 2024

To avoid a repeat of this year's glitches, the agency plans to release the form for testing starting Oct. 1 with a limited number of students and institutions.

Department

Department Education Institution Students

Why doesn’t the Education Department collect racial data on college applicants?

Higher Ed Dive

NOVEMBER 29, 2022

A new report calls for gathering deeper information on other admissions factors, too, like institutions’ legacy preferences and early decision programs.

Department

Department Education College Institution

AFT sues Education Department over anti-DEI guidance

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 26, 2025

The union alleged that the agency's recent guidance barring colleges from considering race in any of their programs and policies is unconstitutional.

Guidance

Guidance Department Education Policy

Education Department reopens IDR student loan plan applications

Higher Ed Dive

MARCH 27, 2025

The American Federation of Teachers sued the agency this month for blocking access to the congressionally mandated repayment options.

Department

Department Education Students

House panel subpoenas Education Department for FAFSA rollout records

Higher Ed Dive

JULY 26, 2024

The move comes after two top Republicans accused the agency of stonewalling a government watchdog’s probe into the rocky debut of the new form.

Department

Department Education

Penn’s legacy admissions under investigation by Education Department

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 23, 2024

The agency is determining whether legacy preferences constitute racial discrimination — a probe similar to one opened at Harvard.

Department

Department Education

Education Department to ease FAFSA verification requirements this year

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

The agency is temporarily rolling back administrative requirements as colleges grapple with an abridged financial aid timeline.

Department

Department Education Administration College

Colleges won’t receive FAFSA applicant info until March, Education Department says

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 30, 2024

The delay further truncates the timeline for institutions to make financial aid offers, and experts have worried that holdups may harm students.

Department

Department Education College Institution

Education Department plans to propose regulatory changes to student aid programs

Higher Ed Dive

APRIL 4, 2025

The agency said it is seeking public feedback, including for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and two income-driven repayment plans.

Department

Department Education Students

579 colleges consider legacy status, new Education Department data finds

Higher Ed Dive

DECEMBER 12, 2023

The agency recently started asking about the contentious practice of giving admissions preference to alumni’s relatives.

Department

Department Education College

Education Department boosts FAFSA outreach efforts to close completion gap

Higher Ed Dive

MAY 6, 2024

The agency announced a $50 million effort to provide more support to students and families in light of the botched rollout of the new form.

Department

Department Education Students

Education Department: Common medical conditions have disability protections

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

The documents explain colleges and K-12 schools' Section 504 responsibilities for students with asthma, diabetes, food allergies or GERD.

Department

Department Education Schooling College

Misrepresentations by OPMs could land colleges in trouble, Education Department says

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 16, 2025

Higher education institutions could lose access to financial aid or face penalties if their external service providers mislead students, new guidance says.

Department

Department Guidance Education Higher Education

Student group sues Education Department over DOGE access to sensitive data

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

The University of California Student Association alleges that the “scale of intrusion into individuals’ privacy is enormous and unprecedented.”

Department

Department Students Education University

New FAFSA will now be adjusted for inflation, Education Department says

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 24, 2024

The head of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators voiced concerns the change will further delay financial aid offers.

Department

Department Education Administration Students

Republican lawmakers accuse Education Department of ‘stonewalling’ FAFSA probe

Higher Ed Dive

JUNE 3, 2024

They cited recent notices from a government watchdog saying the agency hasn’t yet handed over many items related to the investigation.

Department

Department Education

Education Department could face ‘stronger and new challenges’ post-Chevron, Moody’s says

Higher Ed Dive

JULY 11, 2024

The credit ratings agency flagged several regulations that could fall under threat, including the new gainful employment and Title IX rules.

Department

Department Education

Education Department civil rights cases eclipse prior year’s record high

Higher Ed Dive

JUNE 3, 2024

A report confirming an unprecedented caseload comes as the education secretary and civil rights groups plead for more funding.

Department

Department Education

GOP lawmakers raise pressure on Education Department after Chevron decision

Higher Ed Dive

JULY 12, 2024

In a letter to the agency, Reps. Virginia Foxx and James Comer said they will ensure adherence to the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision.

Department

Department Education

Education Department unveils timeline for Title IX, loan forgiveness rules

Higher Ed Dive

DECEMBER 7, 2023

The agency’s regulatory agenda also reveals it will pursue rulemaking on the law requiring colleges to report foreign gifts worth $250,000 or more.

Department

Department Education College

Democratic leaders demand details on DOGE access to Education Department

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

The lawmakers want details including who has access to sensitive data and the steps taken to protect that information.

Department

Department Education

Education Department presses forward with review of accreditation and distance ed rules

Higher Ed Dive

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

The agency will conduct negotiated rulemaking next year, which brings together representatives of different groups to discuss policy details.

Department

Department Education Policy

Cybersecurity Automation Helps Short-Staffed Higher Ed IT Departments Protect Data

EdTech Magazine - Higher Education

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Cybersecurity is always top of mind for higher education IT administrators, and for good reason. More than 60% of higher education institutions got hit by ransomware attacks in the past year, according to Sophos. At the same time, schools are shorthanded.

Department

Department Organization Higher Education Administration

Education Department sued over race-based criteria for McNair grants

Higher Ed Dive

AUGUST 30, 2024

Young America's Foundation, a conservative activist group, argued that the program’s eligibility requirements violate the Constitution.

Department

Department Education

Education Department plans to ramp up transmission of FAFSA data to colleges

Higher Ed Dive

MARCH 14, 2024

The agency also announced fixes to issues that prevented some students from completing the form, though it flagged several new glitches.

Department

Department Education College Students

Court declines to block DOGE from accessing Education Department data

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee, said the student group failed to show it faced “irreparable harm” without emergency relief.

Department

Department Education Students

Top regents at Western New Mexico University depart amid state scrutiny

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 6, 2025

Michelle Lujan Grisham called for the entire board to resign after a state audit found "a concerning lack of compliance" with university spending policies.

Department

Department University Policy

Judge blocks cuts to Education Department teacher training grants

Higher Ed Dive

MARCH 20, 2025

The agency must also reinstate canceled grants to the members of AACTE and two other educator preparation groups that sued.

Department

Department Education

Sen. Durbin calls on Education Department to protect students at 2 shuttering for-profits

Higher Ed Dive

JULY 22, 2024

Northwestern College and American Academy of Art College both announced closures in July in the senator’s home state of Illinois.

Department

Department Education Students College

Education Department opens Title IX probes following anti-trans order

Higher Ed Dive

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

The agency said it is investigating San José State University, the University of Pennsylvania and a middle and high school athletics association.

Department

Department Education Schooling University

Education Department is ‘concerned’ about potential OPM failures as groups sound alarm on 2U

Higher Ed Dive

APRIL 5, 2024

A spokesperson said the agency was worried about how the collapse of an online program management company would impact college students.

Department

Department Education College Students

Education Department discharges $4.5B in loans for former Ashford University students

Higher Ed Dive

JANUARY 15, 2025

The agency also is moving to bar the former founder and CEO of Zovio, which owned the online university, from leading any institution taking Title IV funds.

Department

Department University Education Students

US Department of Education's Failure to Address Food Insecurity Among College Students (Government Accountability Office)

Higher Education Inquirer

APRIL 12, 2025

A recent law gave the Department of Education authority to share students' Free Application for Federal Student Aid data with federal and state SNAP agencies to identify and help students who may be eligible for benefits. But Education hasn't made a plan to start sharing this datanor have states received guidance about this opportunity.

Department Of Education

Department Of Education Department Guidance Education

Scathing GAO reports blame Education Department leaders for FAFSA mess

Federal Court Blocks Education Department's Diversity Directive, Marking Victory for Academic Freedom Advocates

Trending Sources

Department of Education Resumes Federal Student Loan Collections After Four-Year Pause

Education Department faces freedom of information lawsuit over campus protests

ACTION NEEDED: Proposed Rules Student Debt Relief (US Department of Education)

Education Department reverses course on batch FAFSA corrections

AAUP, AFT sue to block Education Department dismantling

Cancellation of Education Department research contracts sparks concerns

330,000 FAFSAs must be reprocessed, Education Department says

Ed Department changes reporting requirements for online colleges

Education Department officially launches 2025-26 FAFSA

Education Department: 2025-26 FAFSA to fully debut by Dec. 1

Why doesn’t the Education Department collect racial data on college applicants?

AFT sues Education Department over anti-DEI guidance

Education Department reopens IDR student loan plan applications

House panel subpoenas Education Department for FAFSA rollout records

Penn’s legacy admissions under investigation by Education Department

Education Department to ease FAFSA verification requirements this year

Colleges won’t receive FAFSA applicant info until March, Education Department says

Education Department plans to propose regulatory changes to student aid programs

579 colleges consider legacy status, new Education Department data finds

Education Department boosts FAFSA outreach efforts to close completion gap

Education Department: Common medical conditions have disability protections

Misrepresentations by OPMs could land colleges in trouble, Education Department says

Student group sues Education Department over DOGE access to sensitive data

New FAFSA will now be adjusted for inflation, Education Department says

Republican lawmakers accuse Education Department of ‘stonewalling’ FAFSA probe

Education Department could face ‘stronger and new challenges’ post-Chevron, Moody’s says

Education Department civil rights cases eclipse prior year’s record high

GOP lawmakers raise pressure on Education Department after Chevron decision

Education Department unveils timeline for Title IX, loan forgiveness rules

Democratic leaders demand details on DOGE access to Education Department

Education Department presses forward with review of accreditation and distance ed rules

Cybersecurity Automation Helps Short-Staffed Higher Ed IT Departments Protect Data

Education Department sued over race-based criteria for McNair grants

Education Department plans to ramp up transmission of FAFSA data to colleges

Court declines to block DOGE from accessing Education Department data

Top regents at Western New Mexico University depart amid state scrutiny

Judge blocks cuts to Education Department teacher training grants

Sen. Durbin calls on Education Department to protect students at 2 shuttering for-profits

Education Department opens Title IX probes following anti-trans order

Education Department is ‘concerned’ about potential OPM failures as groups sound alarm on 2U

Education Department discharges $4.5B in loans for former Ashford University students

US Department of Education's Failure to Address Food Insecurity Among College Students (Government Accountability Office)

Stay Connected