UChicago Doubles Free Tuition Threshold To $250,000 — One Of The Highest In The U.S.
UChicago will offer free tuition to families earning under $250,000 starting fall 2027 — the highest income threshold among elite private universities.
MIT To Admit Fewer Graduate Students As Federal Research Funding Drops 20%
MIT will admit 500 fewer grad students next year as federal research awards drop 20%+ and the 8% endowment tax squeezes university budgets.
This Week In College And Money News: May 15, 2026
Federal student loan rates rise for 2026-27, wage garnishment restarts this fall, Canvas pays the ransom, and a new Texas study confirms college pays off.
McMahon Defends Education Department Dismantling, New Grad Loan Caps in House Hearing
Linda McMahon defended dismantling the U.S. Education Department before the House committee, citing a 45% staff cut and new graduate loan caps.
IDR Backlog Falls to 530,295 in April as Education Department Sets New Processing Record
IDR backlog fell to 530,295 in April 2026 as the Education Department decided a record 456,594 applications but reporting issues delay other numbers.
Trump Administration Proposes New Rules To Cut Federal Loans For Low-Earning College Programs
New proposed rule would hold all colleges accountable for graduate earnings. Programs that fail could lose student loan eligibility for two years.
Democrats File Resolution to Block ED’s OBBBA Student Loan Final Rule
Democrats filed a bicameral CRA resolution to block ED’s OBBBA student loan rule, which ends SAVE, caps grad and parent borrowing, and takes effect July 1.
NY Fed: 3.6 Million Federal Student Loan Borrowers Have Defaulted Since October
The NY Fed reports 3.6 million federal student loan borrowers defaulted in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 — and a second wave from SAVE plan could follow.
Federal Student Loan Rates Set To Rise For The 2026-27 School Year
Federal student loan rates rise for 2026-27: 6.52% undergrad, 8.07% grad, 9.07% PLUS — based on the May 10-year Treasury auction.
South Carolina Higher Ed Agency Short $25 Million on Scholarships Already Awarded
South Carolina’s higher education agency is $25M short on scholarships already awarded — three years after a $152M surplus exposed projection failures.
Pell Grant Eligibility Jumped 31% After FAFSA Simplification, GAO Finds
A new GAO report finds FAFSA simplification expanded Pell Grant eligibility by 570,000 students and added 1.9 million to the max award rolls.