Robert Kelchen
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robertkelchen.com
Robert Kelchen
@robertkelchen.com
5.6K followers 450 following 3.5K posts
Professor & department head, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I study higher ed finance, accountability, and financial aid. Washington Monthly rankings data editor. Dad, gardener, and baker. Personal account.

https://robertkelchen.com/
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robertkelchen.com
I took a quick look at the debt and earnings levels of programs that the negotiated rulemaking committee deemed "professional," as well as other large doctoral programs that were excluded (in spite of having better debt-to-earnings ratios).

robertkelchen.com/2025/11/10/e...
Data on the debt and earnings of nine programs that ED defines "professional" and five that it does not.
November 10, 2025 at 3:53 PM
robertkelchen.com
I'm a bit surprised that schools aren't closed today with this bit of snow last night and a chance of snow showers this afternoon.
A dusting of snow on my roof.
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
robertkelchen.com
The negotiated rulemaking session on defining professional programs essentially just added clinical psychology to the bare minimum required by law, even though the law gives more leeway to include other programs. This will end up in court.

www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Programs Eligible for the Higher Loan Cap Medicine (M.D.) Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.) Optometry (O.D.) Law (L.L.B. or J.D.) Veterinary medicine (D.V.M.) Osteopathic medicine (D.O.) Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P. or Pod.D.) Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.) Theology (M.Div. or M.H.L.) Clinical psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.)
November 10, 2025 at 9:57 AM
robertkelchen.com
While small colleges will have higher per-student operating costs, New College of Florida is blowing that out of the water. The state is asking more questions as their US News ranking is down 60 spots in recent years.

www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...
New College of Florida spends 3-7 times as much per student than other Florida public universities.
November 7, 2025 at 10:31 AM
robertkelchen.com
Educational administration programs across the country tend to have high tuition discount rates because they help colleges keep and retain employees.

At my last job, this became an issue and I capped the number of student employees. They weren't happy.

www.highereddive.com/news/univers...
Given all those concerns, the committee voted against eliminating four of the programs that Bennett proposed slashing: community and regional planning, landscape architecture, statistics, and Earth and atmospheric sciences. Those who voted in favor of eliminating UNL’s education administration program noted similar programs in the University of Nebraska System and state and concerns about its high graduate tuition remission rate, though they recognizeding (sic) its role in training state education leaders and the need for thoughtful deliberation before a final decision. Committee members who favored the administration’s plan to cut UNL’s textiles, merchandising and fashion design program hoped it could be realigned and retained.
November 6, 2025 at 12:44 PM
robertkelchen.com
I'm spending a lot of time thinking about the shift of students from lower-cost to higher-cost fields, further stretching institutional budgets (and something that often flies under the radar). Here is the trend for public research universities.
The share of bachelor's degrees at public research universities in STEM and health have increased over time, while the share in liberal arts has decreased.
November 5, 2025 at 7:06 PM
robertkelchen.com
A new NBER working paper highlights the positive benefits of Chinese graduate students for American universities, students, and communities.

www.nber.org/papers/w34391
China’s unprecedented expansion of higher education in 1999, increased annual college enrollment from 1 million to 9.6 million by 2020. We trace the global ripple effects of that expansion by examining its impact on US graduate education and local economies surrounding college towns. Combining administrative data from China’s college admissions system and US visa data, we leverage the centralized quota system governing Chinese college admissions for identification and present three key findings. First, the expansion of Chinese undergraduate education drove graduate student flows to the US: every additional 100 college graduates in China led to 3.6 Chinese graduate students in the US. Second, Chinese master’s students generated positive spillovers, driving the birth of new master’s programs, and increasing the number of other international and American master’s students, particularly in STEM fields. And third, the influx of international students supported local economies around college towns, raising job creation rates outside the universities, as well. Our findings highlight how domestic education policy in one country can reshape the academic and economic landscape of another through student migration and its broader spillovers.
October 20, 2025 at 10:05 AM
robertkelchen.com
Colleges have generally been a bit skeptical to encourage reporting on their campuses, but 2025 is a completely different ballgame. Arizona State ended up serving as the backdrop for this great piece, which is interesting given their White House meeting today.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Despite those stakes, the extraordinary politicization of international students — and of higher education, in general — has made talking openly about consequences a hot potato. Nearly a dozen colleges turned down requests by The Chronicle to report on their campuses.
October 17, 2025 at 11:50 PM
robertkelchen.com
My university sent out a message about Donations for Citations, and I initially thought it was a way to up your Google Scholar metrics.
DONATIONS FOR CITATIONS Donations for Citations is a Parking and Transportation program that aims to alleviate the monetary stress of receiving a citation while helping University of Tennessee students, staff, and faculty who lack a stable food supply. This initiative is also sponsored by the UT Student Government Association. All products collected through the Donations for Citations program will benefit the Big Orange Pantry and Smokey’s Pantry, two assistance resources for those within the University of Tennessee community.
October 16, 2025 at 2:24 PM
robertkelchen.com
As anyone who has read the classic tome about the ramifications of giving a mouse a cookie knows, Harvard isn't going to be left alone after signing a document.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...
Last week, President Trump made a surprise announcement that Harvard and the government were near an agreement that would allow the university to continue to receive billions in research funds. But a day later, his administration sent letters to nine universities that asked campus leaders to embrace a plan that would align the Trump administration’s political agenda with preferred access to federal research dollars. Harvard officials have since discussed internally the possibility of seeking additional assurances from the administration that the university will not be subject to further demands once an agreement has been signed, according to two people briefed on the matter. Administration officials have said the letters to campuses were attempts to solicit feedback, not ultimatums. Still, the requests concerned Harvard leaders because three of the schools had either agreed to deals with the administration or were in negotiations.
October 9, 2025 at 11:25 AM
robertkelchen.com
It's fascinating that a higher ed search firm reached out to a very conservative member of Congress to recruit the new president of Youngstown State. I didn't know that was a part of search firms' playbooks.

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
What is more unusual is that, while in Congress, Johnson, a staunch conservative, swapped endorsements with President Trump, and was perhaps best known for voting not to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and supporting a travel ban on majority-Muslim nations during Trump’s first administration. Johnson, 70, wasn’t seeking a fourth act. So when representatives from the search firm WittKieffer came calling about the Youngstown State job, he had a question of his own: “Why would I consider something like this?”
October 8, 2025 at 11:55 PM
robertkelchen.com
The Trump administration is again exploring selling off part of the federal student loan portfolio. But that can only be done if the sale doesn't cost taxpayers money, and most of the portfolio is worth less than the book value of the loans.

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Experts caution that any sale comes with potential pitfalls for both taxpayers and borrowers. Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said selling off student loans was a dubious idea that made little fiscal sense. Private investors, he said, wouldn’t be willing to pay more than the loans are worth. Even if the goal is to shrink the portfolio and ease administrative costs, he said, it likely isn’t worth it.
October 7, 2025 at 11:58 AM
robertkelchen.com
It appears that two hedge fund leaders are behind the letter that the Trump administration sent to nine selective universities this week.
Ideas from Mr. Rowan’s group were quietly circulating in higher education circles by early March, when a handful of administrators and lawyers passed around an unsigned draft of what was then labeled a “university support and eligibility agreement.” Some knew that Mr. Rowan was helping to drive the document as others speculated about its origins. And just about all of them were left to wonder whether the document would become a blueprint for the Trump administration. What emerged from the government on Wednesday closely resembled the Rowan group’s wintertime document. Crucial portions of the government’s proposal this week are repeated verbatim from the draft document. The two documents, for example, stipulate that “all monies advanced by the U.S. government during the year of any violation shall be returned to the U.S. government.”
October 4, 2025 at 12:31 PM
robertkelchen.com
Thanks to my friends in Oregon for making data collection a bit more enjoyable with this great Page Not Found setup.
A 404 Page Not Found featuring my dear friend Sasquatch.
October 3, 2025 at 6:07 PM
robertkelchen.com
I went to pull up a list of land-grant universities...and was greeted by the following statement on the USDA website. This isn't a typical government shutdown.
A disclaimer saying "Due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, this government website will not be updated during the funding lapse. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people."
October 2, 2025 at 5:35 PM
robertkelchen.com
Here are the available details.
The memo demands that schools ban the use of race or sex in hiring and admissions, freeze tuition for five years, cap international undergrad enrollment at 15%, require that applicants take the SAT or a similar test, and quell grade inflation. The compact asks universities to ensure a “vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus” and to bar employees from expressing political views on behalf of their employer, unless the matter affects the school. “Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those” in the memo, if the institution elects to forgo federal benefits, the document says.
October 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
robertkelchen.com
The government is officially shut down, but the Trump administration is trying to get nine selective colleges to agree to major controls on their operations in order to get a leg up on federal funding.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Letters on Wednesday were going out to solicit agreement and feedback from Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia, according to an administration official.
October 2, 2025 at 1:18 AM
robertkelchen.com
This is going to be a long, messy, and nasty government shutdown. Here is the homepage of hud.gov.
The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.
September 30, 2025 at 6:05 PM
robertkelchen.com
HHS is threatening Harvard with the loss of all federal funding, which is a sign that the federal government isn't doing as well in negotiations as they would like.

www.hhs.gov/press-room/o...
In addition to the administrative civil rights proceedings, OCR is also referring Harvard for further proceedings under the HHS Suspension and Debarment Program. This program is operated by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, an HHS staff division that handles budget, financial management, grants, and acquisition management. Under HHS grants policy and regulations, the nonprocurement suspension and debarment process is available as a tool to protect the integrity of Federally supported programs to exclude individuals and entities from doing business with the Federal government. Suspension is temporary, and used pending completion of another action, such as a debarment proceeding. Debarment lasts for a specified period as a final determination that an entity is not responsible enough to do business with the Federal government because of the wrongdoing. Both suspension and debarment have a government-wide effect. An entity, or part of an entity, that is debarred by any Federal agency (including HHS) is excluded from entering into a procurement or nonprocurement transaction with other Federal agencies.
September 29, 2025 at 8:43 PM
robertkelchen.com
The kids and I grew the pumpkin and made the pie from scratch. Happy fall, y'all!
Made from scratch pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream.
September 28, 2025 at 12:20 AM
robertkelchen.com
Scheduling is a common dilemma for department heads. Upper administration wants to spread out class times, but students prefer peak hours. The resulting choice is to either upset students (meaning the course won't run) or administrators (meaning you're out).

www.chronicle.com/article/the-...
Pressures on the Faculty Faculty members worry that classes during off-peak times won’t work for students’ schedules, which could create even more significant issues. ADVERTISEMENT For Chapman Waters, an assistant professor of philosophy, the stakes of attracting students are particularly high because, starting this fall, as a part of the university’s plan to cut costs due to pressure from state lawmakers, his department is required to cancel courses with fewer than 15 enrolled students, Waters said. But if his department schedules more early-morning and evening classes, he’s worried students won’t sign up. Pressuring the department to improve student enrollment while requiring them to schedule more courses outside peak hours is “like kneecapping us before a marathon,” Waters said.
September 26, 2025 at 6:27 PM
robertkelchen.com
Here is how the Department of Education is proposing to define professional degrees under negotiated rulemaking. (EdD programs, among others, won't be happy.)

This is important because professional programs have a $200k loan limit, compared to $100k for other graduate programs.
Professional student: A student enrolled in a program of study that awards a professional degree upon completion of the program; (1) A professional degree is a degree that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor's degree, where professional licensure is also generally required, and includes the following degrees Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.), Law (L.L.B. or J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.), and any other degrees designated by the Secretary through rulemaking, as 4 required by 20 U.S.C. 1098a and 5 U.S.C. 553.
September 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
robertkelchen.com
I shared some thoughts with @insidehighered.com about the first IPEDS data release since the Department of Education got DOGE-d. It's good to see the data coming out, but there are some concerns now and plenty more going forward.

www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
"I was not sure if we would see any new data coming out any time soon, so this is a good sign. But looking under the hood, there are clear signs that they’re struggling to do the same quality of data collection and posting as they have in the past,” said Robert Kelchen, head of the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who flagged some of the issues in a Bluesky thread. “I worry about the ability to continue to get data out on time, especially with the changes to the proposed new admissions survey, which is going to be a massive data collection effort.”
September 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
robertkelchen.com
This piece looks at why HHS's Office of Civil Rights has been so active in investigating higher ed. But I'm struck by how the HHS spokeswoman refused to be identified publicly when she isn't saying anything that should upset the administration.

www.insidehighered.com/news/diversi...
An HHS spokesperson said, “We’re leading implementation of the president’s bold civil rights agenda,” which includes four focuses: upholding religious conscience rights, fighting antisemitism, ending race-based discrimination embedded in DEI programs and “defending biological truth” in sex-discrimination enforcement. She also said that fighting antisemitism, for instance, is a priority across the whole administration, “so our office is going to be a part of that and going to participate to the fullest extent that we can.” It remains unclear how much of the HHS OCR’s daily workload is now devoted to Trump’s targeting of higher ed. HHS OCR did investigate higher ed institutions even before Trump took office, the HHS spokesperson said. “We may be being more public about it now,” the spokesperson said, “particularly because that’s where the issue areas with respect to this administration are.”
September 24, 2025 at 9:15 AM
robertkelchen.com
Even more sloppy coding (I'm beginning to think that AI was involved?) on the completions file. You can't add labels to an already existing one! This wasn't a problem in previous years, so I'm going to borrow last year's syntax file to get this to run.
label define label_cipcode 10000 "01.0000-Agriculture, General" label define label_cipcode 10000 "01.0000-Agriculture, General", add label define label_cipcode 10000 "01.0000-Agriculture, General", add label define label_cipcode 10101 "01.0101-Agricultural Business and Management, General", add label define label_cipcode 10101 "01.0101-Agricultural Business and Management, General", add label define label_cipcode 10102 "01.0102-Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations", add label define label_cipcode 10102 "01.0102-Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations", add label define label_cipcode 10103 "01.0103-Agricultural Economics", add label define label_cipcode 10103 "01.0103-Agricultural Economics", add label define label_cipcode 10104 "01.0104-Farm/Farm and Ranch Management", add label define label_cipcode 10104 "01.0104-Farm/Farm and Ranch Management", add label define label_cipcode 10104 "01.0104-Farm/Farm and Ranch Management", add label define label_cipcode 10105 "01.0105-Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling", add label define label_cipcode 10105 "01.0105-Agricultural/Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling", add
September 23, 2025 at 5:21 PM