Week in review: Michigan State, University of Michigan face proposed huge cuts
Week in review: Michigan State, University of Michigan face proposed huge cuts
We’re rounding up recent stories, from University of Arizona being let off the hook for discharged student loans to several colleges landing major gifts.
Published April 27, 2026
Natalie Schwartz
Senior Editor
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Most clicked story of the week:
Michigan State University and the University of Michigan both face massive state funding cuts under a plan advanced by Republicans in the House’s appropriations committee last week. Michigan State would lose $208.9 million, while the University of Michigan would lose $233.4 million.
Number of the week: $72M
The U.S. Department of Education no longer plans to recoup up to $72 million from the University of Arizona to cover the cost of discharged federal student loans for former students of Ashford University. The public flagship acquired Ashford in 2020 and rebranded it as the University of Arizona Global Campus.
The latest federal policy news in higher education:
- Higher ed groups filed a lawsuit last week challenging President Donald Trump’s latest executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at colleges and elsewhere. The groups, which include the American Association of University Professors, say the order threatens protected speech and lawful diversity initiatives.
- The U.S. Department of Justice pushed back the compliance date for new web accessibility rules by one year for colleges. Colleges in counties or cities with at least 50,000 people will now have until April 26, 2027 to comply. Institutions in less populated areas will get an additional year.
- The Education Department might fail to spend up to $289 million of funding appropriated for the Institute of Education Sciences by the end of the 2026 fiscal year, according to an advocacy group. If the Education Department doesn’t spend the money before then, it won’t be able to roll over the funds to the new year, according to The Hechinger Report.
Clarke, UT-Austin and Boston College land game-changing donations:
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Clarke University plans to use a $5 million gift to eliminate all of its long-term debt, the private Catholic institution announced earlier this month. The gift comes after the Iowa college moved to cut 13 academic programs and trim its workforce.
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The University of Texas at Austin landed a $750 million gift from Michael and Susan Dell last week. The new gift — which brings the couple’s lifetime giving to the university to over $1 billion — will be used to create a new medical center focused on using artificial intelligence.
- Boston College received a pledge for $125 million from the Patrick F. Cadigan Family Foundation last week — the largest in the private institution’s history. The college plans to use the money to renovate an academic building, including expanding it through a 50,0000-square-foot addition.
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