State Policy

The state senator behind several bills designed to overhaul operations at the University of Hawai‘i has a long and contentious history with the institution and no shortage of opponents.

A new bill exempts presidential searches at Florida’s public institutions from open records law, keeping candidates’ names confidential until the end. Faculty unions oppose such measures.

California’s Supreme Court will not consider an appeal from UC Berkeley, meaning an enrollment cap ordered by a lower court remains in place. The university continues to look for ways around it.

The bill under review also contains a clause allowing institutions to sue their accreditors if they are “negatively impacted by retaliatory action.” That could scare off potential accrediting agencies.

At least six states are considering legislation that would require high school seniors to fill out the federal financial aid form or sign a waiver opting out. Lawmakers say the policies would boost college enrollments and affordability.

In their State of the State addresses, governors have signaled that higher education will be a priority in the next fiscal year. So far, their budget proposals back that up.

Legal experts say Jason Miyares’s decision to dismiss two university counsels so soon after his inauguration is unusual. What does it mean for the future of the state’s higher ed institutions?

Without accounting for inflation, state funding levels increased by 6.5 percent year over year in fiscal 2022. This jump is due in part to ongoing federal support, recovering state revenues and reversals of state funding cuts from earlier in the pandemic.