Education Brief
Trump's higher ed crackdown expands at Virginia universities
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Virginia universities are starting another school year under mounting federal pressure from the Trump administration.
Why it matters: What began as funding threats and a DEI crackdown has expanded to broader scrutiny of universities' hiring, scholarships, research and foreign partnerships, reports Axios' Avery Lotz.
The latest: The administration proposed a new rule on Thursday that could strip tax-exempt status from private schools and colleges that provide targeted assistance to students based on race.
- The proposal could affect up to 18,000 schools and would take effect after May 2027 if finalized.
State of play: At least five of Virginia's universities have faced significant federal investigations, reviews or demands since President Trump's return to office.
- Virginia Tech was among 30 research universities the Pentagon ordered last month to audit foreign partnerships and terminate "problematic" relationships or risk federal research funding, per Fox News and DefenseScoop.
- William & Mary became another target last month when the DOJ opened a review into whether some of its scholarships — including mentorships for HBCU grads — unlawfully favored students based on race.
- George Mason has also faced multiple investigations into its admissions, scholarships, employment practices and response to antisemitism.
Closer to home: VCU told Axios last year that it received stop-work or termination notices from the administration for about 20 projects worth nearly $10.7 million.
- Now, VCU says the administration's proposed overhaul of federal grant-making could significantly affect university research.
- The proposed rule would require political appointees to review grant requests and make it easier to terminate those that don't align with administration priorities.
The impact: UVA offers a glimpse at how the federal scrutiny is already changing university operations.
- The university reached an agreement with the DOJ last fall that paused pending investigations while UVA adopted changes and submitted quarterly reports through 2028.
- Its latest report in July documents changes including closing its School of Education's DEI office, eliminating diversity-related admissions goals in its engineering school and removing DEI criteria from some faculty hiring practices.
- VCU, Virginia Tech, JMU and CNU also dissolved their DEI offices last year.
What they're saying: Federal officials say the actions enforce civil rights laws and protect federally funded research from foreign adversaries.
- Nationwide faculty groups have accused the administration of using federal funding to force universities into compliance.
What we're watching: The federal higher-ed shakeup is far from over, with new rules on international students, research grants and accreditation still taking shape.