The Chronicle of Higher Education • 12th December 2025

The Clock Is Ticking for Colleges and States to Get Ready for Workforce Pell

The Education Department on Friday finalized proposed regulations for a policy that will allow low-income students to use Pell Grants for non-degree programs.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 26th November 2025

How a New Law Could Change the Way Low-Income Students Access College

Thousands enrolled in short-term, job-focused programs will soon be able to use federal grants to pay tuition. Advocates say it could be “a game changer,” but challenges remain.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 7th November 2025

Graduate Programs Will Soon Feel the Brunt of Loan Caps as Changes to Federal Aid Advance

If fewer students can afford to enroll, higher-ed advocates say, colleges may struggle to sustain many of their master’s and professional degrees.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 30th October 2025

Higher Ed May Be in Trouble if the Government Is Shut Down for Much Longer

The prolonged shutdown is putting a strain on colleges that are dependent on federal dollars. Policy advocates say things will only get worse.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 29th October 2025

‘Featherstone University’ Isn’t Real. But Its Message About Higher Ed Packs a Punch.

A regional public institution’s new marketing campaign, featuring a caricature of academic elitism, has drawn praise and pushback.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 24th October 2025

Trump Wants Colleges to Freeze Tuition. Is That a Good Idea?

Amid concerns about affordability, a cost ceiling may sound like a slam dunk for students. But policy experts say it can have surprising consequences.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 20th October 2025

The White House Sent Its Compact to 9 Universities. Here’s What Their Administrators and Faculty Are Saying.

Presidents have been guarded in their remarks on the Trump administration’s offer. But professors have expressed grave concerns.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 17th October 2025

In Declining Compact, Colleges Try to Leverage ‘Merit’ to Turn the Tables on Trump

“Fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone,” MIT’s president said, using language that has since been echoed by her peers.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 16th October 2025

Penn’s President Declines Trump’s Compact Offer, Joining Brown and MIT

J. Larry Jameson said he provided “focused feedback” to the Department of Education that highlighted “areas of existing alignment as well as substantive concerns” the university continues to have.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 10th October 2025

MIT President Says ‘We Cannot Support’ Trump’s Compact

The institution’s president, Sally Kornbluth, wrote: The proposal “is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 8th October 2025

Private Colleges Are Pitching Free Tuition for Middle-Class Students. Will It Make a Difference?

The student-debt crisis and rising college costs are some factors driving the trend among elite universities, but policy experts warn it isn’t a catch-all.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 1st October 2025

The Federal Government Has Shut Down. Here’s What It Means for Higher Ed.

The first shutdown since 2018 could leave the higher-education sector with mounting challenges if prolonged.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 25th September 2025

A Public University in Texas Bans Discussion of Transgender Topics in Class

In a directive similar to President Trump’s executive order, Angelo State U. told instructors they can no longer suggest that there are identities beyond male and female assigned at birth.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 22nd September 2025

Employees and Students at These Colleges Have Been Punished for Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Death

Republican politicians have been pressuring institutions to take action against those who criticized the conservative activist after he was shot and killed last week.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 16th September 2025

Clemson U. Touted Free Speech After 3 Employees Posted About Charlie Kirk. Then It Reversed Course.

Republican lawmakers in South Carolina threatened to pull the university’s funding over the weekend. The pressure campaign caught widespread attention, including from President Trump.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 12th September 2025

‘Overwhelming and Indescribable’: A Utah University Tries to Process the Killing of Charlie Kirk

The fatal shooting of the prominent right-wing youth activist has left Utah Valley University, and its student body, questioning the future of civil discourse and student safety on campus.

The Chronicle of Higher Education • 11th September 2025

Was an Instructor’s Firing a Violation of Academic Freedom? Or an Example of ‘Academic Responsibility’?

Organizations and scholars concerned with academic freedom are raising the alarm over the firing of a Texas A&M University instructor.

INDY Week • 10th August 2025

“Handcuffs and Hospitals Are Not the Solution”: Chapel Hill's CARE Team Marks One Year

Over 50 years ago, Chapel Hill became one of the first cities in the country to send clinicians along with police officers to respond to people experiencing a mental health–related crisis.

Chicago Sun-Times • 25th July 2025

Chicago promised a better way to handle mental health crisis calls, but CARE program is struggling

On a chilly afternoon in October 2023, a single mother stood in her living room on the North Side as her teenage daughter erupted in rage, kicking, screaming and threatening to take her own life.

MindSite News • 25th July 2025

CARE at the Crossroads: Chicago Crisis Response at Tipping Point

Chicago’s mental health crisis teams were meant to replace police with clinicians. Bureaucratic dysfunction and fading federal support now threaten their survival.

The Fulcrum • 5th June 2025

Kennedy Confirms Intent To Fund Head Start for FY26, but Illinois Providers Remain Concerned

Testifying in front of Congress this May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assured lawmakers funding would not be cut for Head Start, a child care program that serves nearly 28,000 low-income children and families across Illinois.

Illinois Answers Project • 27th May 2025

Unsettling Accounts: How Illinois is Confronting the Student Loan Crisis

With $49,000 in student loan debt, Josue Villalpando figured becoming a homeowner was a long way off.

Illinois Answers Project • 27th May 2025

'Most Drivers Aren’t Making Money:' App-Based Gig Work Promised Freedom and Flexibility. Workers Feel Exploited and Unsafe.

CHICAGO —Joe Negrau has been a rideshare driver for Uber and Lyft for nearly 10 years, but he has not been rewarded for his years of experience.

The Fulcrum • 27th May 2025

‘Homeschool Act’ Stalled in House, but Opponents Remain Vigilant for Potential Revival

Opponents of House Bill 2827—dubbed the “Homeschool Act”—managed to keep it from the floor of the Illinois House for a vote before the April 11 deadline.