Current Administration Actions Impacting Higher Education in 2025

The Trump Administration and its Department of Education have taken various measures impacting colleges and universities. These include issuing executive orders and sub-regulatory guidance, as well as launching OCR investigations and withholding federal funding from several institutions. Below, we share Higher Ed Snapshots (brief alerts on recent news highlighting what each action means and the areas we are watching). We have also collected the various government directives, along with our pertinent analyses and reference guides. If you have questions about how these government actions may affect your institution, please contact your regular Saul Ewing attorney or the attorneys listed on this page.

Higher Ed Snapshots

Harvard University Sues Trump Administration Over Federal Funding Freeze - April 28, 2025

Government Actions Tracker

Date	Type of Action	Title
May 19	DOJ Memorandum	Department of Justice Memorandum announcing “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative" Read our analysis: DOJ Announces New Initiative to Use False Claims Act to Enforce Administration’s Civil Rights Agenda, Targeting Recipients of Federal Funds*
April 23	Executive Order	White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
April 23	Executive Order	Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education
April 23	Executive Order	Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities
March 20	Executive Order	Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities
March 19	EEOC Technical Assistance Document	What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work
March 19	EEOC Technical Assistance Document	What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work
March 3	Speech by U.S. Secretary of Education	Secretary McMahon: Our Department's Final Mission
March 1	Frequently Asked Questions	Frequently Asked Questions About Racial Preferences and Stereotypes Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
February 14	Dear Colleague Letter	Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in Light of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard *Read our reference guide
February 12	Press Release	U.S. Department of Education Rescinds Biden 11th Hour Guidance on NIL Compensation
February 5	Executive Order	Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports
February 4	Dear Colleague Letter	The Department’s Office for Civil Rights Will Enforce the Trump Administration’s 2020 Title IX Rule
January 29	Executive Order	Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism
January 21	Executive Order	Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity Read our reference guide On February 21, 2025, a federal district court in Maryland enjoined Executive Order 14173 in several key respects. For an understanding of the injunction,* read our analysis here. While suggestive of how other courts may receive challenges to the February 14, 2025 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the injunction does not have a direct effect on the DCL. The 4th Circuit has stayed the injunction pending appeal.
January 20	Executive Order	Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government

Contacts