It’s day 5 and your favorite neg reg reporter is back! For much of the week, it seemed ED was pushing to wrap up the student loan meeting and reach consensus by Friday. But that changed this morning when the dept announced that the rule making committee will return at the beginning of November.

Trump is using employees’ automatic out-of-the-office messages to advance his political agenda without their consent. “It’s just wild to see your name attached to a message that you had nothing to do with,” one staffer said. “It feels like a violation … you don’t have autonomy over your own words.”

ICYMI: I’ll be heading to the department soon for neg regs day 4, but in the meantime, let me catch you up on day 3.

⛓️ Here’s your quick end of the day wrap up from @insidehighered.com re: student loan cap regulations. Right after lunch, ED officials presented a new proposal that came from a long morning of negotiations behind closed doors. It was much appreciated but did not go without questions.

Annnnd we're back! The government may be in shutdown but negotiated rulemaking over student loans is still going strong at ED. So far today, most of the committee has been in private caucus, likely discussing what degrees will qualify for higher loan caps. We're now over the original 30 min slot.

I’m on the ground at ED for today’s meeting on new student loan regs. Here’s what’s happened so far: The dept. said it will continue this week’s session even if the gov shuts down. Officials have also drawn a hard line on the definition of professional, outlining an exhaustive list of 10 programs.

Update to this from @jessicablake.bsky.social: neg reg will continue in person despite the shutdown.

Despite saying it would fund TRIO for 2025, ED has not paid about $660 million worth of aid for more than 2,000 programs, advocacy groups say. Those include Veterans Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Centers & Talent Search @jessicablake.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

New from @jessicablake.bsky.social: more than 2,000 TRIO programs didn’t get their funding Sept. 1 as expected. Lawmakers are demanding ED release the funds and warning the freeze could lead to “irreparable damage.” www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Conservative Campus Group Founder Charlie Kirk Shot at Utah Valley University A university spokesperson says Kirk was shot during an event held by his group, Turning Point USA. He’s in surgery. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

“It is the job of the courts to similarly step up, to act to safeguard academic freedom & freedom of speech as required by the Constitution, & to ensure that important research is not improperly subjected to arbitrary & procedurally infirm grant terminations"

Typically, lawsuits are designed to resolve a disagreement between two parties. But lately the DOJ has been filing suits against allies who are on the same page. Legal experts say it's a new tactic designed to quickly repeal policies Trump dislikes without going through legislative procedures.

Everything has a higher ed angle… even Taylor Swift’s engagement 💍

ICYMI: For the second year in a row Mizzou told a Black student group that they couldn't hold a welcome event as planned because the word "Black" was in the title. Higher ed experts say this is just one example of an change in campus cultures nationwide. www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

The University of Missouri canceled a Black student block party this week, calling it “unlawful discrimination.” This is the second time the group has faced pushback for an event with Black in the name. Experts say it reflects how Trump’s anti-DEI crackdown is affecting Black students nationwide.

This is an unusually harsh back and forth to a new survey about the growing challenges that financial aid administrators report in working with the Department of Education. It's reaching its apex now as more colleges begin classes...will aid get out on time? www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

The Institute of Education Sciences has been gutted, and so has nearly an entire profession—education research. “It’s an intellectual dust bowl—there are no crops coming out of this ground anymore,” one former government contractor told @mattbarnum.bsky.social. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

A breakdown of Trump's latest EO on higher ed from @ryanequinn.bsky.social: In some ways it "puts into writing the administration’s ongoing efforts to assert greater control over who receives grants and for what kinds of research" But "some aspects of the order escalate this campaign."

Struggling to keep track of all the lawsuits concerning higher ed, DEI, research grants and Trump? We were too. That's why @insidehighered.com put together a legal tracker to follow 40+ cases step by step—so you don't have to. Check out the database and read our analysis below:

I'm excited to spend this week representing @insidehighered.com at the @sheeoed.bsky.social Conference. If you'll be around and want to talk about how changes from the Trump administration are affecting your state, reach out! Send me a DM here or email me at [email protected].

Expected in general but especially once they did the Hopkins lawsuit about using income as a proxy for race. The fact that I never cursed someone out for talking about how we should give up on race-conscious admissions because "class is right there" is a miracle.

Great reporting from @jessicablake.bsky.social childcare on campus is a vital support for parenting students and this administration should be using those funds now, as Congress intended, not holding on to them. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Experts fear the number of uninsured students will rise and graduation rates will drop due to Medicaid cuts in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. Vital mental health services will be harder to access, they add. Read more from @j-alonso.bsky.social www.insidehighered.com/news/student...

A strong profile on undersecretary nominee Nicholas Kent from @chrisquintana.bsky.social. Backers say Kent has "a deep knowledge" of higher ed policy. Critics question his ties to a for-profit college that "paid millions to settle claims of fraud." www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

BREAKING: UVA President James Ryan resigns under pressure from the DOJ. The dept. has been investigating the university's DEI programs and alleged resistance to closing them since April. Higher ed experts say this is a “major blow” to academic freedom. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

If, like me, you're getting a crash course in civics while you follow the twists and turns of reconciliation, @jessicablake.bsky.social's reporting on the Senate Byrd bath includes helpful info about what steps are left for the Big Beautiful Bill to become law www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

House committees put the finishing touches on their sections of the reconciliation megabill early this week. Now, that all the pieces of the puzzle are laid out, what does it mean for higher ed? We asked that question so you don't have to. Read more at the link below.

Yesterday's Antisemitism Awareness Act markup was tense. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voted with Dems on several amendments, arguing the current bill violates First Amendment rights. A final vote to advance the bill from committee to floor was postponed. Full recap at the 🔗 below:

ICYMI: Two separate court orders were filed today, blocking the Trump administration’s Dear Colleague letter which deemed all DEI programs and scholarships illegal. @afthighered.bsky.social and @NEAToday.bsky.social praised the rulings. Read more from @insidehighered.com at the link below 🔗:

New from @jessicablake.bsky.social and me: Trump signed a bunch of education-related executive orders tonight. Here's what you need to know about the key higher ed ones. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

The Trump administration is changing the way the White House press briefing room works. And the New York Times explains how: www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

The trump administration has fully or partially implemented nearly one-third of the 50 or so higher ed policy recommendations outlined in Project 2025. Can studying it prepare us for what's coming next? A terrific analysis by @jessicablake.bsky.social: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Since Jan. 20 the most attention grabbing conversations about higher ed have emerged from the White House. But Congress also has skin in the game. Lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills related to higher education + @insidehighered.com created a searchable database to track them.

I was in the East Room as President Trump signed an executive order directing Ed Secretary Linda McMahon to dismantle the Department of Education just minutes ago. The department can not, however, be fully abolished without Congressional action. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Trump is arresting foreign students and threatening deportation, leaving them uncertain about their future in America. “This administration has declared war on immigrants broadly and international students specifically,” law professor Steven Yale-Loehr said. www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...

ICYMI: Georgetown Law cited its Jesuit mission when challenged by Trump for not scrubbing all DEI policies and programs. As a follow up @saraweissman.bsky.social + @byjoshmoody.bsky.social explored whether religious freedom could become a shield of defense. www.insidehighered.com/news/institu...

What remains of the department after nearly half the staff was fired? @liamknox.bsky.social and @jessicablake.bsky.social found out. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

The Trump administration is planning to cut the staff at the Education Department by about 50 percent. @liamknox.bsky.social and @jessicablake.bsky.social on what we know now about the layoffs. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Trump didn't sign the rumored executive order to "abolish" the Education Department yesterday as many thought he would. But a leaked draft gives higher ed leaders some idea of what could happen next. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

UPDATE: The Trump administration is now saying the order will not be signed today.

The long-awaited directive to "abolish" the Dept. of Ed is scheduled to be signed at 2 p.m. today. The agency may lay off hundreds of staff. But it's important to note that until Congress passes legislation saying otherwise, the agency will still exist. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

On Feb. 18, Trump ordered all agencies to publicize DOGE cuts “to the maximum extent" and @insidehighered.com immediately requested a comprehensive list of such cuts from the Ed Dept. Now, it's been 2 weeks and ED has yet to respond. Here's what we know: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

@liamknox.bsky.social provides valuable insight on the recent thoughts of Edward Blum, the architect of the affirmative action ban, as Trump's anti-DEI crusade roars. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

@jessicablake.bsky.social and I watched Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing so you didn’t have to. Here’s our recap: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

I’m headed to Capitol Hill now for ed secretary Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing with the Senate HELP committee. Follow along for live coverage with @knottkatherine.bsky.social and yours truly: www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

ICYMI

BREAKING: Trump is set to appoint Nicholas Kent, a former Virginia ed official, as under secretary. He will be a key figure in carrying out Trump’s orders and translating vision into policy, as secretary nominee Linda McMahon has little background in ed. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

BREAKING: Trump is set to appoint Nicholas Kent, a former Virginia ed official, as under secretary. He will be a key figure in carrying out Trump’s orders and translating vision into policy, as secretary nominee Linda McMahon has little background in ed. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

Trump's latest attempt to cut back on NIH funding sets off alarms in higher ed. If it goes unchallenged, colleges will have to cut budgets, raise tuition or reduce research to make up the difference. @kathrynpalmer.bsky.social @knottkatherine.bsky.social www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...