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The largest-ever class of high school seniors is about to graduate, just as colleges are facing major upheaval. Here’s what they could face as they head to campus.  As about 3.9 million students earn their high school diplomas and many of them head to college, the changes at universities could affect their experiences in big and small ways. Sophie Park for The New York Times Colleges are expecting what could be the largest freshman class ever this fall at a moment of extraordinary turmoil, as campuses face financial pressures from the federal government and political conflict over diversity and other cultural issues.
Admissions processes, upended by the Supreme Court decision to ban affirmative action, have been revamped. Budget pressures and worries about financial aid and tuition loom for colleges and families alike. Campuses have been grappling with protests and the sanctity of academic freedom. And that was before President Trump’s return to power. After he took office in January, his administration almost immediately began a campaign to close the Education Department and stop billions of dollars from flowing to colleges. On campuses, universities are shutting down laboratories and confronting civil rights investigations over antisemitism. As about 3.9 million students earn their high school diplomas and many of them head to college, the changes could affect their experiences in big and small ways. Here’s how the commotion might touch students, their parents and anyone else around college campuses this year.
Billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's higher education reform faces unexpected resistance from universities.
Author: Mark Maxwell
Published: 7:43 PM CDT March 25, 2025 Updated: 7:43 PM CDT March 25, 2025
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — Gov. J.B. Pritzker's ambitious plan to allow community colleges to offer four-year degrees has hit a significant roadblock, exposing the complex political dynamics of higher education reform in Illinois.
The proposed legislation, House Bill 3717, would enable community colleges to grant bachelor's degrees in applied fields, potentially transforming access to higher education for thousands of students. Despite Pritzker's vocal support, the House Higher Education Committee declined to advance the bill last week. "I'm glad to see negotiations continuing," Chairwoman Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) said. "I think we need to focus on finding pathways for students to earn the credentials they need to support their careers and on supporting all our institutions of higher education across the state.' From: Illinois Community College Trustees Association March 27, 2025 Gov. JB Pritzker has declared April 2025 as ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE MONTH “in honor of the Illinois Community College System and the significant contribution these institutions are making to every student, every community, and our state.” Below is the full text as well as a link to view a copy of the proclamation. Community College Month Proclamation 2025 WHEREAS, America’s first public community college was established in Joliet, Illinois, in 1901; and, WHEREAS, Illinois community colleges are powerhouses of opportunity at the grassroots with 45 community colleges and 39 college districts throughout the state defining success student by student and community by community; and, WHEREAS, according to the Illinois Community College Board, Illinois community colleges educate 75 percent of the undergraduate students enrolled in Illinois public higher education; and WHEREAS, Illinois community colleges are outcome-driven, ranking number one in the nation for bachelor's degree completion rates among the 54 percent of community college students who transfer; and WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2024, Illinois community colleges partnered with local school districts and offered 15,942 dual credit courses to 91,017 high school students; and, WHEREAS, earning an Associate of Applied Science or long-term certificate from an Illinois community college adds nearly $600,000 in lifetime earnings; and WHEREAS, Illinois community colleges share a common mission to prepare people for the workforce, to transfer students to other colleges and universities, and to continually respond to the communities they serve through adult literacy continuing education services; THEREFORE, I, JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim April 2025 to be Illinois Community College Month in honor of the Illinois Community College System and the significant contribution these institutions are making to the strength, vitality, and prosperity for our state. Trump is moving to cut the staff by half and dismantle the department. He’s also going after DEI in higher education and funding for research.  Students and staff on campuses across the state, including the University of Illinois Chicago, are feeling the effects of actions by the Trump administration. Marc C. Monaghan/For WBEZ The U.S. Department of Education is moving to reduce its staff by nearly 50% through layoffs, buyouts and terminations. The most consequential move came Tuesday when the department announced layoffs affecting over 1,300 workers.
This comes as President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive action to “take all necessary steps to facilitate” the closure of the Education Department, according to a draft of the action obtained by several news organizations. It’s a move that carries significant implications for state and local governments, school districts, colleges and universities, as well as families and children who rely on these institutions. The action instructs newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to try to dismantle the agency, which she has committed to do. According to the department, more than 1,300 positions will be cut as a result of this reduction in force. Roughly another 600 employees have accepted voluntary resignations or retired. Neither the massive planned staff reductions, nor closing the department altogether would represent doomsday for American education. Important federal funding could be maintained by other government agencies, as it was before the Department of Education’s creation by Congress in 1979. But the $79 billion agency, which employed 4,100 people when Trump was inaugurated, oversees federal financial aid for college students and offers key oversight of special education services and civil rights laws that could be at risk. |
