I’m getting ready to celebrate the holiday weekend. But education news never rests. Grateful to Associate Editor Julia Pasette-Seamon for pulling together an abbreviated, but densely packed Labor Day edition of Whiteboard Notes. 

Summer is over. School’s in. And football season is here. Roll Tide, and see you next week!

In this week’s edition, we round up the “Top 10 Articles of the Week” and take a closer look at:

  • End of Summer State Higher Ed Policy Round-up

  • Justice Department Finds HSI Definition Unconstitutional

  • ED Confirms the FAFSA will Launch on Schedule

Top 10 Articles of the Week from W/A’s What We’re Reading Newsletter

  1. There's Too Much Doom and Gloom in the Classroom [National Review] 

  2. California schools brace for fallout from U.S. Supreme Court decision on religious rights [EdSource]

  3. Tutoring was supposed to save American kids after the pandemic. The results? 'Sobering' [The Hechinger Report] 

  4. Why States Must Lead on Education R&D, How They Can Start Today [The 74] 

  5. AI Is Reshaping Work. Here’s How Students Can Be Ready. [U.S. News & World Report]

  6. Are States Prepared for Workforce Pell? [Inside Higher Ed]

  7. Are microcredentials the future of education? How short-term programs are changing higher ed [MassLive]

  8. Online Learning's Moment: How Colleges Struggle To Meet Rising Demand [Forbes, subscription model]

  9. Uwill Acquisition Adds Food Assistance to Mental Health Services [Government Technology]

  10. AI is Killing the Internet. Don’t Let It Kill the Classroom Too. [RealClear Education]

End of Summer State Higher Ed Policy Round-up

Redistricting fights in Texas, the opening salvos in the FY26 appropriations process, and new debates over federal funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are grabbing headlines this week. 

But while Washington, D.C. is once again the center of national coverage, states continue to move the ball on higher education policy in ways that deserve equal attention. 

Here’s what we’re watching:

  • Accreditation in California. California lawmakers are advancing S.B. 744, a measure to extend recognition of accrediting agencies through 2029, provided they operate in the same manner as they do today. The move comes amid national questions about the future of accreditation and federal oversight. By setting its own timelines, California is signaling its intent to provide stability for institutions and students alike, even as Washington wrestles with broader accountability debates.

  • Distance Ed Reciprocity on the Table. Another California bill, S.B. 790, would authorize the governor to enter into an interstate reciprocity agreement for distance education. Out-of-state public and nonprofit institutions would need to register with the state by 2028 unless covered by such an agreement.

  • Texas Targets DEI in Accreditation. Texas H.B. 118 revives earlier attempts to remove DEI-related provisions from the state’s higher ed code. Specifically, it would prohibit institutions from submitting statements on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as part of accreditation reports. The bill underscores how culture-war issues remain central to state policymaking, even as Texas lawmakers simultaneously navigate redistricting battles and a new round of special sessions.

We’re also keeping an eye on:

  • Illinois: Bills filed to prohibit undocumented students from accessing in-state tuition and to align state scholarship programs with federal tax credit provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

  • Oregon: A special session on road funding begins August 29—higher ed isn’t directly on the agenda, but budget trade-offs could have downstream impacts.

As the number of students (and parents!) who are questioning the value of college continues to grow, college counselors are getting more questions than ever about “nontraditional” options, from gap years, to AI bootcamps, to innovative two-year programs and "startup" colleges like the University of Austin. 

On September 16, we’ll host New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo for an interactive discussion about a new guide that takes a look at what’s motivating today’s high schools to think differently, and some of the options that many are now considering. 

Written by former U.S. News & World Report reporter Lauren Camera, “What Comes Next? A College Guide for High School Students Who Think Differently” was created to give families and counselors a look at some of the most innovative new approaches to higher education as they help today’s high school students chart their path.

Register Here

Quick Takes

  • Justice Department Finds HSI Definition Unconstitutional: The U.S. Department of Justice will not defend the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program against a lawsuit which argues that the way HSIs are currently defined (a college’s undergrad population must be at least 25% Hispanic to receive HSI funding) is unconstitutional. The lawsuit, brought by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) and the state of Tennessee, alleges that the HSI program’s ethnicity-based requirements are also a violation of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on affirmative action. Roughly 600 higher ed institutions may be impacted, depending on the outcome of the suit. [Inside Higher Ed]

  • ED Confirms the FAFSA will Launch on Schedule: On August 26, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Congress to certify that the 2026-27 FAFSA will launch by October 1, the congressionally-mandated deadline per the FAFSA Deadline Act of 2024. This comes after ED’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) began a national beta testing phase for the form earlier this month, representing the earliest successful test launch of the FAFSA to date. [The Hill]

  • Earlier this month, Katie Jenner was unanimously confirmed as Indiana’s next commissioner of higher education. Jenner will also continue serving as the state’s secretary of education, and will assume the combined role on October 11. The decision to consolidate the oversight of K-12 and higher education is intended to reflect existing interactions between the two sectors, like dual credit and 21st Century Scholars, and improve college attainment rates in Indiana. [Indiana Public Media]

Check out W/A Jobs, which features 3,440 career opportunities from 306 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week:

Visit W/A Jobs

Upcoming Events and Convenings

Keep Reading

No posts found