Sara Custer
@saracuster.insidehighered.com
Editor-in-chief @insidehighered.com | Okie in DC | She/her | Human servant to greyhound Neville | #highered | #academicsky | #scifi
Reposted by Sara Custer
I'm also in wait-and-see mode on the effects of caps on grad student loans.
My big questions are:
(1) Can the private market scale up in time?
(2) Do students even want private loans?
(3) Will grad programs change admissions practices?
www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
My big questions are:
(1) Can the private market scale up in time?
(2) Do students even want private loans?
(3) Will grad programs change admissions practices?
www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
December 15, 2025 at 10:14 AM
I'm also in wait-and-see mode on the effects of caps on grad student loans.
My big questions are:
(1) Can the private market scale up in time?
(2) Do students even want private loans?
(3) Will grad programs change admissions practices?
www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
My big questions are:
(1) Can the private market scale up in time?
(2) Do students even want private loans?
(3) Will grad programs change admissions practices?
www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
Reposted by Sara Custer
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Sara Custer
In all of history, nothing bad has ever happened when a government asks for a list of the names of Jews @insidehighered.com www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
Penn Refuses to Disclose Jewish Faculty, Student Names
The Trump administration asked the university to hand over personal information for the members of Jewish clubs and organizations as well as the Jewish Studies department.
www.insidehighered.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
In all of history, nothing bad has ever happened when a government asks for a list of the names of Jews @insidehighered.com www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
The five higher ed figures who appear most frequently in the Epstein emails released on November 12th. @emmawhitford.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
5 Higher Ed Names in the Epstein Files
Both houses of Congress voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to release the rest of the trove of documents related to Epstein. Here are some of the key higher ed people mentioned so far.
www.insidehighered.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:29 AM
The five higher ed figures who appear most frequently in the Epstein emails released on November 12th. @emmawhitford.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
Reposted by Sara Custer
And ED makes it official. Numerous programs are getting shipped out to four different agencies.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
McMahon Breaks Up More of the Education Department
Trump officials announced six agreements with four agencies to take over some of ED’s responsibilities.
www.insidehighered.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:22 PM
And ED makes it official. Numerous programs are getting shipped out to four different agencies.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
With new caps on federal student loans, the private lending sector is going to get very interesting. Like Sallie Mae selling a seed portfolio of student loans to an investment firm and committing to selling $2 billion more annually for the next three years. finance.yahoo.com/news/sallie-...
Sallie Mae Launches Private Credit Strategic Partnership with KKR
NEWARK, Del., November 12, 2025--Sallie Mae, the leader in private student lending, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with KKR, a leading global investment firm.
finance.yahoo.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:53 PM
With new caps on federal student loans, the private lending sector is going to get very interesting. Like Sallie Mae selling a seed portfolio of student loans to an investment firm and committing to selling $2 billion more annually for the next three years. finance.yahoo.com/news/sallie-...
Reposted by Sara Custer
I'm back on The Key this week with @saracuster.insidehighered.com. We talk about Dancing with the Stars, the romance novel I'm trying to write and all the news from the last month.
www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/key...
www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/key...
Ep. 181: TRIO Cuts, Compact Responses and Looking for Signs of Life at ED | Inside Higher Ed
In this episode, Katherine Knott, Inside Higher Ed’s news editor, is ba
www.insidehighered.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I'm back on The Key this week with @saracuster.insidehighered.com. We talk about Dancing with the Stars, the romance novel I'm trying to write and all the news from the last month.
www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/key...
www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/key...
Another college closure, this time nearly 900 students' educations are disrupted and 126 faculty are losing their jobs. @byjoshmoody.bsky.social dug into Trinity Christian College's finances and found that 76% of contributions came from just 3 donors in 2024 www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
Trinity Christian College Announces Closure
Trinity Christian College will close next year due to financial pressure following years of declining enrollment, stubborn deficits and an overreliance on a small donor pool.
www.insidehighered.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Another college closure, this time nearly 900 students' educations are disrupted and 126 faculty are losing their jobs. @byjoshmoody.bsky.social dug into Trinity Christian College's finances and found that 76% of contributions came from just 3 donors in 2024 www.insidehighered.com/news/busines...
The buzzword at Educause this year was "consolidation". Colleges are "shopping their closets" one ed tech leader told me in an effort to find efficiencies and cost savings in their digital ecosystems. Here's my full report www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...
Higher Ed Tech Leaders Pursue Consolidation and Savings
Educause’s latest top 10 survey shows economic and political uncertainty are putting pressure on colleges to streamline their tech environments while keeping up with AI’s evolution.
www.insidehighered.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
The buzzword at Educause this year was "consolidation". Colleges are "shopping their closets" one ed tech leader told me in an effort to find efficiencies and cost savings in their digital ecosystems. Here's my full report www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-in...
Reposted by Sara Custer
Inbox: New College of Florida wants to be the first to sign on to the Trump administration's proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
October 27, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Inbox: New College of Florida wants to be the first to sign on to the Trump administration's proposed Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.
And if you're wondering what *exactly* those individual responses say– and don't say– @byjoshmoody.bsky.social spoke to some rhetoric and communication experts to read between the lines www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
October 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
And if you're wondering what *exactly* those individual responses say– and don't say– @byjoshmoody.bsky.social spoke to some rhetoric and communication experts to read between the lines www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
We're keeping track of how universities have the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education (will we ever call it Kay-He??) So far 10 colleges have rejected it and two said they'll "provide feedback". www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
How Universities Are Responding to Trump’s Compact
The document would require signatories to make sweeping changes to policies and practices. A number of institutions have already said no, and more responses are expected.
www.insidehighered.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:56 PM
We're keeping track of how universities have the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education (will we ever call it Kay-He??) So far 10 colleges have rejected it and two said they'll "provide feedback". www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Reposted by Sara Custer
UVA essentially agreed to follow this DOJ memo www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
October 22, 2025 at 10:41 PM
UVA essentially agreed to follow this DOJ memo www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Reposted by Sara Custer
Amber Northern, the special adviser tasked with reforming IES, will giver her report in Dec. But with the government shutdown and staff cuts can she deliver? @ryanequinn.bsky.social looks into the confusion surrounding the future of federal education data www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Trump Gutted IES. Skepticism of Its Renewal Abounds.
The Education Department recently requested ideas on how to “modernize” the data collection and education research funding agency, and it sought to hire for a few positions.
www.insidehighered.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Amber Northern, the special adviser tasked with reforming IES, will giver her report in Dec. But with the government shutdown and staff cuts can she deliver? @ryanequinn.bsky.social looks into the confusion surrounding the future of federal education data www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Today is the deadline for the nine original invitees to provide feedback on the White House’s compact. So far none have accepted it wholesale- Vanderbilt said it would provide feedback. Silence from UT Austin. @byjoshmoody.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
Arizona Rejects Compact, Others Leave Options Open
Monday’s deadline to provide feedback on the Trump administration’s proposed deal passed with no signatories and silence from some university leaders invited to join.
www.insidehighered.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Today is the deadline for the nine original invitees to provide feedback on the White House’s compact. So far none have accepted it wholesale- Vanderbilt said it would provide feedback. Silence from UT Austin. @byjoshmoody.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
Reposted by Sara Custer
The University of Arizona has given a non-answer on joining the Compact of Academic Excellence in Higher Education (as did Washington University in St. Louis) earlier today. UA President Suresh Garimella wrote that he welcomes "the opportunity to engage" in a letter to Linda McMahon.
president.arizona.edu
October 20, 2025 at 8:36 PM
The University of Arizona has given a non-answer on joining the Compact of Academic Excellence in Higher Education (as did Washington University in St. Louis) earlier today. UA President Suresh Garimella wrote that he welcomes "the opportunity to engage" in a letter to Linda McMahon.
Reposted by Sara Custer
Today’s the feedback deadline for the compact, and I broke down what we know about the document so far here from why the White House is taking this approach to what could happen to those who reject it.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
5 Things to Know About Trump’s Higher Ed Compact
Nine universities were asked to give “limited, targeted feedback” on the proposal by today. So far, six have rejected the deal.
www.insidehighered.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Today’s the feedback deadline for the compact, and I broke down what we know about the document so far here from why the White House is taking this approach to what could happen to those who reject it.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
In the past 24 hours, two more colleges have rejceted the compact. That leaves Arizona, UT Austin & Vanderbilt of the original 9 who haven’t responded. Monday is the deadline. @ryanequinn.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
UVA, Dartmouth Reject Trump Compact
The University of Virginia is the first public, and Southern, institution to publicly turn down the administration's “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”
www.insidehighered.com
October 18, 2025 at 5:11 PM
In the past 24 hours, two more colleges have rejceted the compact. That leaves Arizona, UT Austin & Vanderbilt of the original 9 who haven’t responded. Monday is the deadline. @ryanequinn.bsky.social reports www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
BREAKING: The White House has confirmed it's called the 5 institutions who haven't signed its compact to a meeting this afternoon. Insiders tell us it's "an effort to regain momentum by threatening institutions to sign" @knottkatherine.bsky.social has the scoop www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
White House to Meet with Universities Regarding Compact
The scheduled meeting follows increasingly forceful pushback to the wide-ranging proposal.
www.insidehighered.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
BREAKING: The White House has confirmed it's called the 5 institutions who haven't signed its compact to a meeting this afternoon. Insiders tell us it's "an effort to regain momentum by threatening institutions to sign" @knottkatherine.bsky.social has the scoop www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
As far as we know, 500 employees at ED were fired today. A senior department leader told @jessicablake.bsky.social that the directive came from Ross Vought's OMB and took the department by surprise.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Trump Fires More Education Dept. Employees
The Trump administration threatened to lay off federal workers because of the government shutdown. Thousands reportedly got pink slips Friday.
www.insidehighered.com
October 11, 2025 at 1:13 AM
As far as we know, 500 employees at ED were fired today. A senior department leader told @jessicablake.bsky.social that the directive came from Ross Vought's OMB and took the department by surprise.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Reposted by Sara Custer
Saudi Arabia Approves Branch Campus for Longtime Partner U of New Haven
www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...
www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...
Saudi Arabia OKs Campus for U of New Haven
The institution says it started educating Saudi royal family members in the ’90s and later developed curricula for a Saudi “security college,” despite criticism. Now it could be the first university a...
www.insidehighered.com
October 9, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Saudi Arabia Approves Branch Campus for Longtime Partner U of New Haven
www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...
www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...
If the shutdown is short it will cause little disruption to higher ed. The risk increases the longer it draws out. Here's what to watch for as the showdown in Congress continues. From @knottkatherine.bsky.social www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
What to Know About the Government Shutdown and Higher Ed
Colleges and universities likely won’t face immediate issues, but research may be disrupted as grants pause.
www.insidehighered.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:30 PM
If the shutdown is short it will cause little disruption to higher ed. The risk increases the longer it draws out. Here's what to watch for as the showdown in Congress continues. From @knottkatherine.bsky.social www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...