American Council on Education

Washington State University and Cal State Monterey Bay Honored with ACE/Fidelity Institutional Transformation Award ​ACE is proud to announce that Washington State University and California State University, Monterey Bay are the recipients of the 2026 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation.

Congratulations to Washington State University and California State University, Monterey Bay on receiving the 2026 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation at #ACEx2026.

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Higher Ed Leaders Take to Capitol Hill, Kicking Off ACEx2026 ACE president and chancellors kicked off ACEx2026 by participating in ACE on the Hill, a day of advocacy to elevate the sector’s voice on the most pressing issues facing colleges and universities.

Higher Ed Leaders Take to Capitol Hill, Kicking Off ACEx2026

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Closing out the morning, congressional staff shared insights and answered questions on legislative priorities.

Now, presidents are meeting with lawmakers across Capitol Hill, underscoring the real-world impact of federal decisions on campuses. #ACEx2026

Great to see so many college and university presidents in D.C. this morning kicking off #ACEx2026 at ACE on the Hill!

Dozens of leaders are convening before heading to meetings with lawmakers.

Can this man rally higher ed against Trump? My conversation with Ted Mitchell @aceducation.bsky.social.
pod.link/1766357400/e...

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/23:

- Can Ted Mitchell Marshal Higher Ed Against Trump? @chronicle.com
- The Human Cost of Trump’s War on Science @nytimes.com
- Why Adults Pursuing Career Growth or Personal Interests Are the ‘New Majority’ Student @apnews.com

More:
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"It's important to be flexible. [There's no need to] immediately react."

🌴💬 What’s Next: Sarah Spreitzer, @aceducation.bsky.social, kicked-off an #Interim26 focused on important discussions with an exploration of the 1st year of federal higher education policy under the 2nd Trump administration.

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/17:

- Pell Grant Facing $11.5B Shortfall, CBO Says @insidehighered.com
- International Enrollment Is under Pressure. How Can Colleges Respond? via Higher Ed Dive

More: www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pa...

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/12:

- How Congress’s Budget Could Hamper Trump ED Agenda @insidehighered.com
- After Affirmative Action: Four Takeaways — And Puzzles — From College Admissions Data @hechingerreport.org

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Join this upcoming Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges webinar featuring ACE’s Heidi Tseu for a timely conversation on reaffirming the value of #highereducation and how colleges and universities drive local and national economic impact.

Details below:

Lawler Hosts Bipartisan Briefing on Loan Limits to Protect Nurses, Teachers, and Healthcare Workforce

ACE and Rep. Mike Lawler held a bipartisan briefing on Capitol Hill focused on graduate student loan limits, with participation from higher education leaders and policymakers.

lawler.house.gov/news/documen...

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/9:

- Congress, Courts Stymie Trump’s Effort to Cap Research Costs @insidehighered.com
- Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ May Spur Significant Changes to Higher Ed in 2026 and the Rise of ‘Un-College,’ Experts Say @cnbc.com

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HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/6:

- Major Changes to Student Loan Borrowing and Repayment Are Coming @pbsnews.org
- Report Tracks Not Just Degrees, But Payoff @insidehighered.com
- California Wants Colleges to Count Work Experience for Credit. How’s It Going? @calmatters.org

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HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines:

- Report: Growth in State Higher Ed Funding Is Slowing Down @insidehighered.com
- Minnesota Teachers Sue to Keep Ice off School Property @washingtonpost.com
- USC Names Beong-Soo Kim as Its ‘Next Generation’ President @latimes.com

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HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 2/3:

- California Colleges Scramble to Fill Gaps Left by Federal Grant Cuts to Latino Students @latimes.com @hechingerreport.org
- The Education Department’s Efforts to Fire Staff Cost over $28 Million, Watchdog Says @npr.org

More: www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pa...

Rulemaking Session, Handbook Revisions Latest Actions in Trump Administration Push to Overhaul Accreditation ​In 2023, then-candidate Donald Trump called accreditation his “secret weapon” for reshaping higher education. Now, in his administration’s second year, that pledge is taking shape.

The Department of Education is moving ahead with sweeping accreditation changes through new rulemaking and handbook revisions, bringing fresh concerns about politicizing higher education oversight.

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HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines:

- Federal Government Shuts Down, Again. Here’s What to Know. @insidehighered.com
- 1.7 Million More Students Qualify for Maximum Pell Grants Following FAFSA Simplification @theeduledger.bsky.social

More: www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pa...

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 1/30:

- ED Takes Another Step Toward Finalizing Loan Limits @insidehighered.com
- What's Missing on Campus? Men. @bostonglobe.com
- What Keeps Higher Ed Up at Night @chronicle.com
- Beyond the Bars via Richmond Magazine

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What’s Next for Climate Action on Campus? ACE, Second Nature Continue Webinar Series, Make Past Sessions Available With major policy shifts reshaping campus sustainability efforts, ACE and Second Nature are continuing their webinar series, bringing higher education leaders and sustainability experts together to ex...

With major policy shifts reshaping campus sustainability efforts, ACE and @leadonclimate.bsky.social are continuing their webinar series on higher ed's climate action journey.

Tomorrow's webinar centers on climate workforce development.

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House Passes FY 2026 Spending Package Preserving Education and Research Funding as Senate Showdown Looms With a Jan. 30 funding deadline fast approaching, the House last week passed and sent to the Senate a bipartisan FY 2026 spending package that would largely sustain, and in several areas modestly incr...

The House last week passed and sent to the Senate a bipartisan FY 2026 spending package that would largely sustain, and in several areas modestly increase, federal support for education and research.

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House Passes FY 2026 Spending Package Preserving Education and Research Funding as Senate Showdown Looms With a Jan. 30 funding deadline fast approaching, the House last week passed and sent to the Senate a bipartisan FY 2026 spending package that would largely sustain, and in several areas modestly incr...

The House last week passed and sent to the Senate a bipartisan FY 2026 spending package that would largely sustain, and in several areas modestly increase, federal support for education and research.

www.acenet.edu/News-Room/Pa...

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 1/28:

- At CHEA, Kent Blames Accreditors for Higher Ed’s Woes @insidehighered.com
- Gov. Abbott Orders Texas Universities, Agencies to Halt H-1B Visa Petitions @texastribune.org
- Yale Will Go Tuition-Free for Families Making Up to $200,000 @wsj.com

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HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 1/27:

⬩ ED Eyes Rewrite of Accreditation Rules via @insidehighered.com
⬩ Remote Class and Escorts: Twin Cities Universities Respond to ICE, CBP, Protestsvia @insidehighered.com
⬩ 5 Higher Ed Lawsuits to Watch in 2026 via Higher Ed Dive

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HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 1/23:

⬩ Universities Count the Cost, One Year Into Trump’s Second Term via Inside Higher Ed
⬩ More than Half of Authors of Leading Research Say Funding Is Declining via Nature

More: hubs.li/Q03_XzFy0

Join Second Nature and the @aceducation.bsky.social on January 29 (2–3 p.m. ET) for a free webinar on how higher education is advancing equitable green jobs. Explore workforce models, funding opportunities, and partnerships advancing equitable green careers.

Register now: lnkd.in/eJiym_iV

ACE Survey: Federal Policy Uncertainty Weighs Heavily on Higher Education Leaders Seven in 10 senior higher education leaders say they are concerned about government interference in academic freedom and institutional autonomy, according to ACE’s latest Pulse Point survey,

New ACE Pulse Point Survey:

- 7 in 10 higher ed leaders are concerned about govt interference in academic freedom
- 98 percent report uncertainty stemming from federal policy actions

Full findings:
https://ow.ly/RA5k50Y05Wh

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 1/21:
⬩ College Presidents Can’t Escape Trump via Chronicle of Higher Education
⬩ Federal Policy Uncertainty Is Disrupting Planning, College Leaders Say via Higher Ed Dive
⬩ Again Defying Trump, Congress Proposes Increasing NIH Budget, Maintaining ED via Inside Higher Ed
ow.ly/4KNj50XXmIi

ACE Survey: Federal Policy Uncertainty Weighs Heavily on Higher Education Leaders Seven in 10 senior higher education leaders say they are concerned about government interference in academic freedom and institutional autonomy, according to ACE’s latest Pulse Point survey,

New ACE Pulse Point Survey:

- 7 in 10 higher ed leaders are concerned about govt interference in academic freedom
- 98 percent report uncertainty stemming from federal policy actions

Full findings:
https://ow.ly/RA5k50Y05Wh

HEADLINES: Top Higher Education News for the Week A selection of the day's most important college and university news stories.

Headlines 1/20:

⬩ 4 Takeaways From Trump’s First Year in Office via Inside Higher Ed
⬩ Trump 2.0’s Impact on Higher Ed: The First Year in 8 Numbers via Higher Ed Dive
⬩ Trump’s Admissions Data Collection Strains College Administrators via The Hechinger Report

More:
ow.ly/4KNj50XXmIi

AHEAD Committee’s Second Rulemaking Session Results in Consensus on Accountability Framework The Department of Education has finalized the second session of the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell Committee, reaching consensus on, most notably, establishing a single accountability framework.

Last week, a Department of Education rulemaking committee reached consensus on regulations establishing a single accountability framework that will apply to all higher ed programs.

https://ow.ly/kRzH50XWNJk