The biggest threat to higher education isn’t making headlines
Preview:
While high-profile battles over DEI bans and research funding cuts have dominated headlines, the more consequential threat to higher education may be a quieter web of regulatory and compliance mechanisms the Trump administration is building to control what colleges teach, who they hire, and how they define educational quality. Proposed OMB revisions would require political appointees to review all federal grants, new GSA certification requirements would embed contested executive interpretations of civil rights law into routine funding processes, and accreditation overhauls could open the door to partisan influence over academic standards. A pending earnings-based accountability rule would threaten entire disciplines, with humanities, arts, and religious studies programs at the greatest risk of losing federal aid eligibility.
Originally published: June 7, 2026
Author: David Wippman
Position: President Emeritus
Institution: Hamilton College
Published by: The Hill