Colorado State University Turns to Layoffs and Other Cuts to Manage Budget Hole
Colorado State University (CSU) approved a fiscal 2027 budget that slashes $35.8 million at its Fort Collins campus and $2.4 million at Pueblo, including modest staff layoffs totaling about 0.5% of the workforce. The cuts come as Colorado’s state budget remains flat for higher‑education appropriations, prompting a 3.5% tuition hike for in‑state students and a 5% increase for out‑of‑state learners. CSU Fort Collins also eliminated $3 million in vacant positions while boosting the merit‑raise pool by 3%, and CSU Pueblo cut eight vacant posts and reduced its athletics budget by $1 million. Despite the austerity, enrollment at Fort Collins grew 2% while Pueblo saw a 3.2% dip.
Bowie State University Plans to Cut Nearly 80 Jobs
Historically Black Bowie State University in Maryland announced plans to eliminate 79 jobs as it confronts an $18 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2027. The deficit stems from declining enrollment, rising operating costs and a roughly 1 % cut in state funding,...
Southern Oregon University Plan Would Cut or Consolidate 13 Academic Units
Southern Oregon University unveiled a Deloitte‑driven plan to cut or consolidate 13 academic units as it wrestles with a severe budget shortfall. The proposal calls for sunseting four programs—music, international studies, creative writing, and gender, sexuality and women’s studies—while merging...
Kent State University to Lay Off up to 45 Staffers
Kent State University announced plans to lay off up to 45 employees, roughly 1% of its 3,400‑person workforce, to address an estimated $18 million shortfall in its fiscal 2027 budget. The school ends the current fiscal year with a $1.5 million surplus...
DOJ Revives Fight Against Minnesota’s In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
The U.S. Department of Justice has appealed a federal judge’s March dismissal of its lawsuit against Minnesota, sending the case to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Minnesota’s law grants in‑state tuition rates and the North Star Promise Scholarship...
Why GSA’s Anti-DEI Certification Is Raising Alarm in Higher Education
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing a certification that requires every federal‑funded entity, including colleges and universities, to attest to compliance with the administration’s DEI executive orders. Failure to sign could mean loss of all federal funding and...
University of Michigan, Virginia Tech Among Colleges Seeking New Leaders
April 2026 saw a wave of leadership changes across U.S. higher education, including the University of Michigan pausing its presidential search after Kent Syverud disclosed a brain‑cancer diagnosis and Virginia Tech President Tim Sands announcing retirement amid political controversy. The University of Wyoming selected...
Week in Review: Financial Stress at Saint Augustine’s, Southern Oregon University
Financial distress is hitting multiple U.S. colleges this week. Saint Augustine’s University entered Chapter 11 and will pivot to certificates and apprenticeships, while Southern Oregon University’s board was presented a plan that could lead to a controlled wind‑down if a turnaround...
Education Department Finalizes Rule Tightening Federal Student Lending
The U.S. Department of Education issued final regulations tightening federal student loans to align with the 2023 tax and spending bill. The rule preserves a narrow definition of “professional student,” limiting higher borrowing caps to 11 fields and excluding majors...
Southern Oregon University Risks Closure without Deep Cuts, Consultants Say
Southern Oregon University faces a fiscal cliff, prompting state lawmakers to grant a $15 million emergency lifeline. Deloitte consultants presented a plan to slash up to $20 million in costs, emphasizing program closures, shared back‑office services, and a salary freeze. The university...
Stanford Faces Education Department Probe over Racial Discrimination Allegations
The U.S. Department of Education announced a Title VI investigation into Stanford University’s BIPOC Cohort, a program designed to help teachers of color earn National Board Certification. The probe examines whether the cohort’s race‑based eligibility violates civil‑rights law for federally funded...
Penn Wins Temporary Court Block on Turning over Jewish Employee Data to EEOC
U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert issued a stay on his earlier order compelling the University of Pennsylvania to provide the EEOC with extensive data on its Jewish employees. The pause gives Penn time to appeal the March ruling that set...
Court Blocks Education Department’s Data Demands for over 170 More Colleges
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that stops the U.S. Department of Education from enforcing its new race‑and‑sex admissions data survey against roughly 178 additional colleges, including elite institutions such as Harvard and Caltech. The order expands an earlier...
Missouri State Faces Lawsuit over Bias Response Policy
Missouri State University is being sued by the conservative group Defending Education, which claims the school's bias response policy infringes on First Amendment rights and forces self‑censorship. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction and a declaration that the policy is...
Nebraska Joins DOJ Effort to End In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
Nebraska has joined the U.S. Department of Justice in a federal lawsuit seeking to strike down state statutes that grant in‑state tuition rates to certain undocumented students. If the court rules in favor of the DOJ, Nebraska will become the...