Education
Remember running the mile in school? The Presidential Fitness Test is coming back
The Cold War-era test was a staple of school gyms for half a century before the Obama administration replaced it. Trump says his focus on childhood fitness is for both physical and patriotic reasons.
Today is the last day for many Education Department workers. Here’s what they did
Employees across multiple divisions agree: They can't imagine how the department will fulfill its legal obligations with roughly half its staff gone.
Alaska ignored budget crisis signs. Now, it doesn’t have money to fix schools.
Alaska has long ignored warning signs of a budget crisis. Now, it has no money to fix something that is posing serious health and safety risks to students and staff: crumbling rural schools.
Brown University strikes agreement with White House to restore lost federal funding
Brown University will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding, officials said Wednesday.
UCLA reaches $6 million settlement with Jewish students over campus protests
The settlement comes after Jewish students and a professor argued their civil rights were violated when pro-Palestinian protesters blocked access to campus buildings during 2024 demonstrations.
Mental health warnings on social media? Minnesota will require them next year
Supporters say the pop-up messages could encourage Minnesotans, especially kids, to think twice about how much time they spend on sites. Social media companies argue that the law is heavy-handed.
Education Department says it’s releasing more than $5 billion in frozen grants
The grants fund a wide range of education programs, including migrant education, services for English language learners and adult education.
What we know about Columbia’s $221 million settlement with the Trump administration
The complex settlement allowed both sides to claim victory. It gives the university access to federal funds that had been frozen, and restores some terminated contracts.
President Trump takes aim at college sports with a new executive order
The order aims to ban "pay-for-play" NIL deals, mandates scholarships for women's and Olympic sports and threatens to withhold funds from schools who don't comply. But its legality is in question.
What borrowers should know about student loan changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill
Now that President Trump has signed Republicans' massive overhaul of the federal student loan program, we explain what's set to change.
In praise of the humble recorder — a gateway instrument for millions of schoolchildren
The small plastic instrument has long been the go-to instrument in elementary schools. But it is capable of so much more than "Hot Cross Buns."
Supreme Court says Trump’s efforts to close the Education Department can continue
The Trump administration had appealed a decision that had directed it to stop gutting the U.S. Education Department and to reinstate many of the workers the government had laid off.
24 states sue Trump admin to unfreeze more than $6 billion in education grants
The lawsuit comes two weeks after the Trump administration first notified states it was withholding previously approved funds for migrant education, before- and after- school programs and more.
How 3 Muslim sisters helped change the rules of American women’s wrestling
Jamilah, Zaynah and Latifah McBryde grew up wrestling one another in Buffalo, N.Y. Coaches recognized their talent, but they couldn't wear the required wrestling singlet due to their faith.
Since COVID, threats to local school officials have nearly tripled, research finds
Researchers at Princeton University say some instances corresponded with national attacks on DEI initiatives as well as on LGBTQ+ policies and that the targets held a variety of political views.
In Peru, criminal gangs are targeting schools in poor neighborhoods for extortion
The president of one of Lima's largest parent-teacher associations says at least 1,000 schools in the Peruvian capital are being extorted and that most are caving into the demands of the gangs.
UPenn updates swimming records to settle with feds on transgender athletes case
The U.S. Education Department and Penn announced the voluntary agreement of the high-profile case that focused on Lia Thomas, who last competed for the Ivy League school in 2022.
The Trump admin is withholding over $6 billion in education grants for schools
The federal grant funding traditionally goes out by July 1. It includes support for migrant education, after-school programs and English language learners.
Federal investigation finds Harvard violated civil rights law
The Trump administration has issued a notice of violation accusing Harvard University of "deliberate indifference" toward Jewish and Israeli students.
Federal judge weighs whether Alabama’s anti-DEI law threatens First Amendment
The new state law, SB129, followed a slew of proposals from Republican lawmakers across the country taking aim at DEI programs on college campuses. Universities across the country have shuttered or rebranded student affinity groups and DEI offices.
What the Class of 2025 has to say about the state of higher education
Three graduating college seniors reflect on how their final semester, during the Trump presidency, has changed how they think about higher education.
‘It’s such a dream’: Top high school performers step out on Broadway
With a billboard in Times Square and a night on Broadway, the year's top high school performers are ready for their big moment at the Jimmy Awards.
Court blocks Louisiana law requiring schools to post Ten Commandments in classrooms
The ruling marked a win for civil liberties groups who say the mandate violates the separation of church and state, and that displays would isolate students — especially those who are not Christian.
Trump says he’s close to ‘a Deal’ with Harvard, as judge grants injunction
Trump's Truth Social comments came as a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that would continue blocking the president's efforts to bar international students from attending Harvard.
What children in poverty could lose from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Republicans want to change or reduce key social safety net programs that provide healthcare, food benefits and financial assistance for millions of children.
U.S. resumes visas for foreign students but demands access to social media accounts
The U.S. State Department said it is restarting the process for foreigners applying for student visas but all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for review.
Announcing the 2024 NPR College Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions
Here are some of the best entries in NPR's 2024 College Podcast Challenge.
Peter Mohler named new University of Alabama president
Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scientific officer of the Wexner Medical Center. He also served as Ohio State’s acting president in 2023.
Harvard and the Trump administration return to court over international students
The hearing on whether to indefinitely block President Trump's June 4th proclamation on Harvard's international students is scheduled in federal court in Boston.
People told my dad not to bother educating his 4 daughters. He didn’t listen
On Father's Day, Esther Ngumbi thinks of the sacrifices her Kenyan dad made to ensure that not only his son but his four daughters got an education. He'd say, "I choose to educate you, my girls."
Alabama drops four places in national child well-being rankings
Alabama ranked 43rd nationally for child well-being in the latest KIDS COUNT data book from by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Almost all of the Fulbright board resigns, citing Trump administration interference
Former Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board members said the Trump administration usurped their authority by denying awards to "a substantial number" of the individuals it had selected for the program.
