dotEDU

• dotEDU Live: The Trump Administration’s Pressure Campaign Continues

  In this episode of dotEDU Live, Jon Fansmith, Sarah Spreitzer, and Mushtaq Gunja dive into recent executive orders on accreditation, foreign influence, and more. Also, they discuss key takeaways from the House reconciliation bill, new risks for federal student aid, and proposed changes to immigration policy affecting international students.   Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email [email protected]. Here are some of the links and references from this week’s episode:  From ACE Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education Letter Opposing the House Budget Reconciliation Bill (the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan) ACE | April 29, 2025 Summary of the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings PlanACE | April 30, 2025 College Cost Reduction Act: By the Numbers News Articles Trump Administration Reverses Abrupt Terminations of Foreign Students’ US Visa Registrations Politico | April 25, 2025 Anti-DEI Guidance Letter Put On Hold, for Now Inside Higher Ed | April 24, 2025 Judge Frees Columbia Student Activist Whom Trump Administration Wants to Deport Politico | April 30, 2025 Trump Executive Orders Higher Education & The Trump Administration ACE Summary Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education (April 23, 2025) Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities (April 23, 2025) White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (April 23, 2025) Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy (April 23, 2025) Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future (April 23, 2025) Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens (April 28, 2025)

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• dotEDU Live: Harvard Pushes Back, Visa Chaos, and the Fight for Research Funding

  In this episode of dotEDU Live, the hosts unpack the Trump administration’s sweeping demands to Harvard—including oversight of teaching, governance, and student speech—and the university’s refusal to comply, a defining moment in higher education’s response to growing federal pressure. They also examine the surge in international student visa revocations and the escalating legal fight over federal research funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. ACE President Ted Mitchell and Steven Bloom from ACE’s Government Relations team join the conversation to explore what it all means for campuses—and how they can respond. Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email [email protected]. Here are some of the links and references from this week’s episode:  Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show: The Promise of American Higher Education Harvard University President’s Office Trump’s Demands of Harvard Escalate His War on Higher Ed Inside Higher Ed | April 16, 2025 AJC Statement on University Funding Cuts American Jewish Committee College Financial Aid Hit with Glitches, Delays Due to Federal Staffing Cuts The Washington Post | April 14, 2025 ACE, Higher Ed Associations Demand Answers as Student Visa Revocations Spread Nationwide American Council on Education | April 7, 2025 ACE Page on NIH and DOE Lawsuits American Council on Education Tax Reform and Higher Education in 2025 American Council on Education NAFSA International Student Economic Value Tool

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• dotEDU Live: Latest on Dismantling of the ED, International Students, and Budget Issues

  In this episode of dotEDU Live, Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq unpack the sweeping policy shifts affecting higher education, including the executive order to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). They also discuss the legal and financial implications for institutions, potential changes to federal student aid, immigration policies impacting international students, and key congressional budget updates.   Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email [email protected]. Here are some of the links and references from this week’s episode:  Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities   The White House | March 20, 2025 (Executive Order) ACE President Ted Mitchell: Trump’s Order to Dismantle ED is “Political Theater”   ACE | March 21, 2025 Federal Student Loan Site Down Wednesday, a Day After Layoffs Gutted Education Department   The Associated Press | March 13, 2025 Public Health Agencies See Mass Layoffs   Inside Higher Ed | April 2, 2025 Trump Administration Will Review Billions in Funding for Harvard   The New York Times (sub. req.) | March 31, 2025 ACE, Higher Ed Association Urge Changes to Foreign Gift Reporting Bill Passed by House   ACE | March 31, 2025 What We Know About the Detentions of Student Protesters   The New York Times (sub. req.) | March 27, 2025

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• dotEDU Live: What the Education Department Layoffs Mean for Colleges and Universities

  The latest episode of dotEDU Live unpacks the sweeping layoffs at the Department of Education and their implications for colleges and universities. Hosts Jon Fansmith, Sarah Spreitzer, and Mushtaq Gunja are joined by ACE President Ted Mitchell to break down the budget battle in Congress, the department’s restructuring, and the ripple effects on financial aid, student services, and institutional oversight.  The discussion also covers the Trump administration’s ongoing investigations into higher education institutions, including Title VI enforcement actions and DEI-related scrutiny, as well as the shifting landscape for federal grant funding.   Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email [email protected]. Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show: Education Department Cuts Half Its Staff as Trump Vows to Wind the Agency Down The Associated Press | March 11, 2025 Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Significant Layoffs at the Department of Education ACE | March 11, 2025  U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Sends Letters to 60 Universities Under Investigation for Antisemitic Discrimination and Harassment Department of Education | March 10, 2025  Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell Opposing the Trump Administration’s Cancellation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University ACE | March 10, 2025  Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness White House | March 7, 2025  Office for Civil Rights Initiates Title VI Investigations into Institutions of Higher Education Department of Education | March 14, 2025  OPINION: Here’s Why We Cannot Permit America’s Partnership with Higher Education to Weaken or Dissolve By ACE President Ted Mitchell The Hechinger Report | March 18, 2025 Trump Demands Major Changes in Columbia Discipline and Admissions Rules The New York Times (sub. req.) | March 13, 2025  Susan Collins Announces Reinstatement of University of Maine System’s Paused USDA Funding Maine Public | March 12, 2025

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• Fixing FAFSA—Lessons From the Rollout

  In this episode of dotEDU, Sarah Spreitzer and Mushtaq Gunja give an update on the unprecedented workforce cuts at the Department of Education and share their concerns about the immediate and long-term implications for higher education.   After that, the hosts take a look back at the troubled rollout of the new FAFSA system. Jeremy Singer, president of the College Board, talks about his time at the Department of Education last year leading the FAFSA relaunch effort at Federal Student Aid. He shares firsthand insights into what went wrong, the challenges of managing a large-scale federal program, and the lessons learned from the rollout.  Send suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation on X or Bluesky or email [email protected]. Here are some of the links and references from this week’s episode: Education Department Lays Off Nearly Half of Staff Inside Higher Ed | March 11, 2025 Department of Education Investigating 60 Colleges and Universities Over Antisemitism Claims CNN | March 11, 2025 Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness The White House | March 7, 2025  White House Cancels $400 Million in Grants and Contracts to Columbia The New York Times (sub. req.) | March 7, 2025  Johns Hopkins Plans Staff Layoffs After $800 Million Grant Cuts The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) | March 11, 2025 USDA Halts Millions in Funding for University of Maine System Portland Press Herald (sub. req.) | March 11, 2025 What Is the FAFSA Simplification Act? Federal Student Aid FAFSA Is Officially Out, and Everyone Is Cautiously Optimistic The Washington Post (sub. req.) | Nov. 21, 2024 Flawed FAFSA Rollout Leads to 11.6% Drop In Students Filling Out the College Financial Aid Form Chalkbeat Colorado | July 8, 2024 New Clearinghouse Data Shows Freshman Enrollment Has, in Fact, Increased Diverse: Issues In Higher Education | Jan. 23, 2025

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