The U.S. Department of Education announced plans to gradually shift responsibility for roughly $1.7 trillion in student loans to the U.S. Department of Treasury. Under the agreement, the Treasury Department will assume operational responsibility for collecting on defaulted student loans, affecting 9 million borrowers. The department is also set to administer the FAFSA.

College professors have implemented a mishmash of bans, limits, and permissions on generative artificial intelligence use in classrooms, causing confusion and strain across campuses. A university in Australia debuted a model last semester to ease the problem by redefining how students are evaluated. The “two-lane approach” offers a defined set of assessment formats instructors can choose from, either allowing generative AI or not. 

School districts are increasingly building career learning pathways that connect students directly with professional challenges and industry mentors. In one example, a Denver water treatment plant collaborated with a school aquatic robotics team to collect data, identify an algae species in its pipes, and eradicate the algae. This article examines how models like this can work and how they are spreading across the country. 

A bus transporting students in Brevard County, Florida, allegedly hit a train crossing arm that had initially raised after a train passed. In an issued statement, a school representative said the train arm malfunctioned and lowered back onto the bus. The driver reversed off the tracks in fear that another train was coming, breaking a side mirror while doing so. Parents and students report fears of similar instances in the future, which have left students shaken. 

California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative is a statewide push to expand behavioral health support for people 25 and younger. It includes $4 billion in funding and a state law requiring insurance companies to reimburse schools for the services they provide like screenings, therapy, and case management. Hundreds of schools in San Diego are piloting the program, and students will soon be able to receive care for free at school instead of seeking a private provider. 

Students at the University of Houston have begun protesting health insurance costs and working conditions. A fifth-year chemistry doctoral candidate and international student is charged more than $1,000 each semester for the University health insurance plan, which is mandatory for international students. Unlike the University of Texas and A&M University, UH does not subsidize health insurance for graduate student employees.

During #BlackHistoryMonth, conversations around equity extend beyond the classroom. Access to healthcare remains a critical factor in student success at HBCUs.

In their latest article, Jessica McDonald and Jasmine Johnson examine the healthcare access gaps many HBCU students face, from limited on-campus services to Medicaid and affordability challenges, and outline how comprehensive student health plans can help close them.

Ensuring consistent, affordable care is one of the most impactful ways campuses can support student well-being and academic outcomes. 

Federal lawmakers are moving toward approving a new spending plan that maintains the U.S. Department of Education; however, the Trump administration may continue its unilateral funding and agency staffing maneuvers. The bill, as currently written, would provide equal funding for key federal programs serving low-income students and students with disabilities as provided in recent years.