By Jill Barshay. Here’s an unusual case where scholarly research is producing a clear conclusion: online instruction at community colleges isn’t working. Yet policymakers are continuing to fund programs to expand online courses at these schools, which primarily serve low-income minority students, and community college administrators are planning to offer more and more of them. More...

By Jim Siegel. As Senate leaders press for lower student costs, Ohio’s public and private universities are sparring over how the state should divide grant money for low-income students in the new two-year state budget. More...

By Griselda Nevarez. Less than a third of California's Latino high school graduates pass courses required to enter a four- year state university, jeopardizing the state's future workforce and economy, a report released Wednesday said.
The report by the Campaign for College Opportunity examines how the 15 million Latinos living in California are faring in the state's college and university systems. The campaign is a coalition of social justice, business and higher education groups and foundations whose mission is to preserve access to college education in the state. More...

By Alex Seitz-Wald. Hillary Clinton will soon roll out a detailed plan to tackle student loan debt, an issue that is quickly gaining steam in the emerging Democratic presidential primary, her campaign tells msnbc.
Clinton has been under pressure from liberals to address the issue in the face of rising debt loads, with many hoping she will embrace the idea of debt-free college education. Her campaign says she will, but specifics will have to wait. More...

By Daniel Reynolds. After years of criticism, the women's college has formally changed its admission policy. Smith College has formally changed its admission policy to be inclusive of trans-feminine people.
The prestigious women's college, which in the past has come under fire for refusing to admit trans students, released an announcement this week clarifying that it will consider any applicant who identifies as a woman. More...

By Natalie Jackson. Within the next few weeks, the Wisconsin state legislature will begin considering the Joint Finance Committee’s recommended budget, which may or may not include $300 million in cuts to the University of Wisconsin system that Walker proposed in January. More...

Natalie Jackson

By Arthur E. Levine. At the U.S. Senate prepares for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), accreditation stands as one of the most important tools available to strengthen postsecondary education. Accreditation ultimately sets the standard for all colleges and universities to achieve. Underlying this standard, though, is the hope that all institutions of higher education will strive to exceed the standard, seeking the innovation and outcomes that will keep our position of having the strongest higher education system in the world. More...