Current Administration Actions Impacting Higher Education

The Trump Administration and its Department of Education have taken various measures impacting colleges and universities. These include issuing executive orders and sub-regulatory guidance, as well as launching OCR investigations and withholding federal funding from several institutions. Below, we share Higher Ed Snapshots (brief alerts on recent news highlighting what each action means and the areas we are watching). We have also collected the various government directives, along with our pertinent analyses and reference guides. If you have questions about how these government actions may affect your institution, please contact your regular Saul Ewing attorney or the attorneys listed on this page.

 

Higher Ed Snapshots

Government Actions Tracker

DateType of ActionTitle
January 26, 2026Press ReleaseU.S. Department of Education Announces Negotiated Rulemaking to Reform and Strengthen America’s Higher Education Accreditation System
August 7, 2025Executive OrderEnsuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions
August 7, 2025Executive OrderImproving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
July 24, 2025Executive Order

Saving College Sports

*Read our analysis: Saving College Sports: What You Need to Know About the July 24, 2025 Executive Order (8/4/2025)

May 19, 2025DOJ Memorandum Department of Justice Memorandum announcing “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative"
*Read our analysis: DOJ Announces New Initiative to Use False Claims Act to Enforce Administration’s Civil Rights Agenda, Targeting Recipients of Federal Funds 
April 23, 2025Executive OrderWhite House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
April 23, 2025Executive OrderReforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education
April 23, 2025Executive OrderTransparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities
March 20, 2025Executive OrderImproving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities
March 19, 2025EEOC Technical Assistance DocumentWhat You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work
March 19, 2025EEOC Technical Assistance DocumentWhat To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work
March 3, 2025Speech by U.S. Secretary of EducationSecretary McMahon: Our Department's Final Mission
March 1, 2025Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions About Racial Preferences and Stereotypes Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
February 14, 2025Dear Colleague Letter

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in Light of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard

Related analysis: The U.S. Department of Education Agrees to Dismiss Dear Colleague Letter Appeal: What This Means for Your Campus (1/29/26) 

Reference guide (2/21/25)

February 12, 2025Press ReleaseU.S. Department of Education Rescinds Biden 11th Hour Guidance on NIL Compensation
February 5, 2025Executive OrderKeeping Men Out of Women’s Sports
February 4, 2025Dear Colleague LetterThe Department’s Office for Civil Rights Will Enforce the Trump Administration’s 2020 Title IX Rule
January 29, 2025Executive OrderAdditional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism
January 21, 2025Executive Order

Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity

 Related analysis: Fourth Circuit Lifts Injunction on DEI Executive Orders (2/16/26)
Reference guide (2/6/25)

January 20, 2025Executive OrderDefending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government
Contacts
James A. Keller
Joshua W. B. Richards