Robert Kelchen
@robertkelchen.com
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/
https://robertkelchen.com/
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
The NYT has numbers on the cuts at the Dept of Education.
Almost 800 people have been cut at Federal Student Aid. That's a lot larger than I expected. And IES has been gutted.
Almost 800 people have been cut at Federal Student Aid. That's a lot larger than I expected. And IES has been gutted.
January 10, 2026 at 1:24 AM
The NYT has numbers on the cuts at the Dept of Education.
Almost 800 people have been cut at Federal Student Aid. That's a lot larger than I expected. And IES has been gutted.
Almost 800 people have been cut at Federal Student Aid. That's a lot larger than I expected. And IES has been gutted.
The cost of issuing this type of statement is much lower given that Virginia flipped from Republican to Democratic control. Last year, this would have been grounds for removal.
It's rare to see college presidents muster enough courage or moral leadership to comment on current events these days. But here is Old Dominion President Brian Hemphill addressing the recent murder of Renee Good (an ODU alum) by ICE.
www.odu.edu/article/a-st...
www.odu.edu/article/a-st...
A Statement from President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.
“It is with great sadness that Old Dominion University mourns the loss of one of our own, Renee (Macklin) Good, a proud Monarch who graduated in December of 2020 from the College of Arts and Letters w...
www.odu.edu
January 9, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The cost of issuing this type of statement is much lower given that Virginia flipped from Republican to Democratic control. Last year, this would have been grounds for removal.
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
Here's the 10 Masters degrees with the highest number of programs expected to fail (using @robertkelchen.com's great spreadsheet here).
January 9, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Here's the 10 Masters degrees with the highest number of programs expected to fail (using @robertkelchen.com's great spreadsheet here).
The negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on a program-level accountability system tied to graduates' earnings four years later. After years of not reaching consensus, it's now happening largely in line with what ED wants.
An Expansive Accountability Test Based on Grads’ Salaries Moves Forward
This week, an Education Department committee reached consensus on a proposed blueprint for the policy, which could end some programs’ access to federal loans.
www.chronicle.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:24 PM
The negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on a program-level accountability system tied to graduates' earnings four years later. After years of not reaching consensus, it's now happening largely in line with what ED wants.
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
Here's what to know about California higher-ed in Gov. Gavin Newsom's final budget proposal:
1) Higher education is one of the few spending arenas in the budget to get more money compared to last year in Newsom’s proposed spending plan.
2) University of California would get $350 million more. 1/x
1) Higher education is one of the few spending arenas in the budget to get more money compared to last year in Newsom’s proposed spending plan.
2) University of California would get $350 million more. 1/x
January 9, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Here's what to know about California higher-ed in Gov. Gavin Newsom's final budget proposal:
1) Higher education is one of the few spending arenas in the budget to get more money compared to last year in Newsom’s proposed spending plan.
2) University of California would get $350 million more. 1/x
1) Higher education is one of the few spending arenas in the budget to get more money compared to last year in Newsom’s proposed spending plan.
2) University of California would get $350 million more. 1/x
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
This is pretty wild: Health care & social assistance accounted for essentially ALL of private-sector job growth in 2025 (713k out of the 733k private-sector job gains).
January 9, 2026 at 3:02 PM
This is pretty wild: Health care & social assistance accounted for essentially ALL of private-sector job growth in 2025 (713k out of the 733k private-sector job gains).
I do annual performance reviews as a department head, and S. Dakota is going at post-tenure review the wrong way. If faculty doesn't meet expectations once, that shouldn't result in firing if the problem is fixed. Tenure means they have a history of success.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
January 9, 2026 at 10:31 AM
I do annual performance reviews as a department head, and S. Dakota is going at post-tenure review the wrong way. If faculty doesn't meet expectations once, that shouldn't result in firing if the problem is fixed. Tenure means they have a history of success.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
After four days of talks, consensus on the new earnings test/gainful rewrite seems unlikely. But it’s neg reg and anything can happen. @jessicablake.bsky.social on where things stand.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
ED Panel Divided Over New Earnings Test Rules
The Education Department held several closed-door meetings Thursday, but it’s unclear if officials will compromise.
www.insidehighered.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:17 AM
After four days of talks, consensus on the new earnings test/gainful rewrite seems unlikely. But it’s neg reg and anything can happen. @jessicablake.bsky.social on where things stand.
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
I looked at the newest year of IPEDS finance data to examine how frequently colleges post financial losses. The last few years have been good for public colleges, but many private colleges are struggling.
Examining the Frequency of Financial Losses in Higher Education
It has been a busy stretch for higher education data over the last month. December saw a release of financial aid, admissions, and graduation rate data through the Integrated Postsecondary Educatio…
robertkelchen.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:07 PM
I looked at the newest year of IPEDS finance data to examine how frequently colleges post financial losses. The last few years have been good for public colleges, but many private colleges are struggling.
New IPEDS data just dropped for finance, staffing, and fall enrollment. I know how I'm spending the rest of my day--digging in and checking for bugs.
As always, go back and update the previous year's data with final versions.
nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datace...
As always, go back and update the previous year's data with final versions.
nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datace...
January 7, 2026 at 4:07 PM
New IPEDS data just dropped for finance, staffing, and fall enrollment. I know how I'm spending the rest of my day--digging in and checking for bugs.
As always, go back and update the previous year's data with final versions.
nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datace...
As always, go back and update the previous year's data with final versions.
nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datace...
It's quite strange to see my name listed between Gloria Ladson-Billings and Erik Hanushek regarding influential education scholars. But my goal is to help make higher education a better place by communicating broadly about the field, so this is an honor.
Who Are the Nation's Top Education Scholars? (Opinion)
The RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings recognize researchers who shape practice and policy.
www.edweek.org
January 7, 2026 at 10:38 AM
It's quite strange to see my name listed between Gloria Ladson-Billings and Erik Hanushek regarding influential education scholars. But my goal is to help make higher education a better place by communicating broadly about the field, so this is an honor.
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
lol love this sport
Washington has no intention of releasing Demond Williams from the contract he signed on Jan. 2, @theathletic.com has learned. This could lead to a legal fight. The Big Ten is also expected to be involved as well.
Story w/ @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social and Sam Jane:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
Story w/ @brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social and Sam Jane:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. enters portal after signing contract to return
Washington has no intention of releasing Williams from the contract he signed on Jan. 2, a source told The Athletic.
www.nytimes.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:09 AM
lol love this sport
The fate of the University of Virginia's president, who was quickly appointed before state political control flipped to Democrats, is one of the more fascinating items to watch in 2026.
UVA Presidential Hire Raises Process Concerns
The University of Virginia hired a familiar face to lead the university, but he’s starting the job with a trust deficit due to board politics and the circumstances surrounding his hire.
www.insidehighered.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:24 AM
The fate of the University of Virginia's president, who was quickly appointed before state political control flipped to Democrats, is one of the more fascinating items to watch in 2026.
This is a bit of a curveball.
A's denied 'Athletics' trademark ahead of LV shift
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied the A's request to trademark the names "Las Vegas Athletics" and "Vegas Athletics." The club currently plays in Sacramento, but intends to move to Nevad...
www.espn.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:26 AM
This is a bit of a curveball.
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
Yikes. Hampshire missed its fall class by *half*.
Struggling Western Mass. college misses enrollment goal by half
With only 150 new students instead of the targeted 300 last year, financial stability for the institution will have to be pushed off.
www.masslive.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Yikes. Hampshire missed its fall class by *half*.
This is a good summary of the two issues dominating yesterday's negotiated rulemaking session:
(1) Should any programs lose Pell eligibility, or are only loans at risk?
(2) Should earnings be the only metric, or should debt also be considered (as grad student lending gets cut)?
(1) Should any programs lose Pell eligibility, or are only loans at risk?
(2) Should earnings be the only metric, or should debt also be considered (as grad student lending gets cut)?
ED Panel Kicks Off Accountability Talks
Department officials say they are creating a level playing field. Advocates and committee members say they are leaving students vulnerable.
www.insidehighered.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:16 AM
This is a good summary of the two issues dominating yesterday's negotiated rulemaking session:
(1) Should any programs lose Pell eligibility, or are only loans at risk?
(2) Should earnings be the only metric, or should debt also be considered (as grad student lending gets cut)?
(1) Should any programs lose Pell eligibility, or are only loans at risk?
(2) Should earnings be the only metric, or should debt also be considered (as grad student lending gets cut)?
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
NEW: Court of Appeals blocks Trump effort to cap NIH research grants' indirect costs to 15%. This upholds a district court's ruling last year.
Universities typically get double that amount for overhead costs in running labs. For University of California, losing this would be ~$500m annually.
Universities typically get double that amount for overhead costs in running labs. For University of California, losing this would be ~$500m annually.
#00108386617 in Commonwealth of Mass. v. National Institutes of Health (1st Cir., 25-1343) – CourtListener.com
JUDGMENT. Affirmed. [25-1343, 25-1344, 25-1345] (AVN) [Entered: 01/05/2026 04:36 PM]
www.courtlistener.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:53 PM
NEW: Court of Appeals blocks Trump effort to cap NIH research grants' indirect costs to 15%. This upholds a district court's ruling last year.
Universities typically get double that amount for overhead costs in running labs. For University of California, losing this would be ~$500m annually.
Universities typically get double that amount for overhead costs in running labs. For University of California, losing this would be ~$500m annually.
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
Kind of a wild story here.
A mystery person took control of CU Boulder's student news outlet & turned it into AI slop.
The students made a new website & lawyered up. But, it turns out, AI is a hard beast to fight.
www.denverpost.com/2026/01/05/c... via @denverpost.com
A mystery person took control of CU Boulder's student news outlet & turned it into AI slop.
The students made a new website & lawyered up. But, it turns out, AI is a hard beast to fight.
www.denverpost.com/2026/01/05/c... via @denverpost.com
How CU Boulder’s student news site got taken over by AI slop
The imposter site is confusing readers with articles that appear to be generated by artificial intelligence and is siphoning pageviews from real student reporting, the CUI’s journalists say.
www.denverpost.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Kind of a wild story here.
A mystery person took control of CU Boulder's student news outlet & turned it into AI slop.
The students made a new website & lawyered up. But, it turns out, AI is a hard beast to fight.
www.denverpost.com/2026/01/05/c... via @denverpost.com
A mystery person took control of CU Boulder's student news outlet & turned it into AI slop.
The students made a new website & lawyered up. But, it turns out, AI is a hard beast to fight.
www.denverpost.com/2026/01/05/c... via @denverpost.com
I appreciate @chronicle.com running two pieces on negotiated rulemaking data based on my recent blog post.
Programs that failed the earnings threshold:
www.chronicle.com/article/coll...
Programs with average debt over the new grad/professional student limits:
www.chronicle.com/article/a-pa...
Programs that failed the earnings threshold:
www.chronicle.com/article/coll...
Programs with average debt over the new grad/professional student limits:
www.chronicle.com/article/a-pa...
Colleges Face a New Test on Their Grads’ Earnings. These Programs Would Fail.
Nearly 6 percent of about 50,000 programs would fall below a new salary threshold, according to federal data. The Education Department is discussing proposed regulations this week.
www.chronicle.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:01 PM
I appreciate @chronicle.com running two pieces on negotiated rulemaking data based on my recent blog post.
Programs that failed the earnings threshold:
www.chronicle.com/article/coll...
Programs with average debt over the new grad/professional student limits:
www.chronicle.com/article/a-pa...
Programs that failed the earnings threshold:
www.chronicle.com/article/coll...
Programs with average debt over the new grad/professional student limits:
www.chronicle.com/article/a-pa...
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
My latest post: Why old school regression diagnostics are probably worth running... we really should check our variables for outliers, skew, multicollinearity, etc. open.substack.com/pub/nathanfa...
January 5, 2026 at 12:53 PM
My latest post: Why old school regression diagnostics are probably worth running... we really should check our variables for outliers, skew, multicollinearity, etc. open.substack.com/pub/nathanfa...
In a slow labor market, it's not surprising that employers are limiting where they recruit on college campuses to elite institutions and ones close to home. It's also why I expect to see degree requirements tightened--it's an easy and legal way to screen applicants.
Elite Colleges Are Back at the Top of the List for Company Recruiters
As white-collar hiring slows down and corporate DEI goals vanish, where you went to college matters again.
www.wsj.com
January 5, 2026 at 12:46 PM
In a slow labor market, it's not surprising that employers are limiting where they recruit on college campuses to elite institutions and ones close to home. It's also why I expect to see degree requirements tightened--it's an easy and legal way to screen applicants.
The Department of Education's negotiated rulemaking session on higher ed accountability starts today. Here is my first look at new program-level data that ED released, which also highlights the 30 percent of graduate and professional programs where average borrowing exceeds the new federal caps.
Key Takeaways from the Negotiated Rulemaking Data Release
I thought that the end of 2025 was going to be relatively quiet when I wrote my last piece a couple of weeks ago, but my words to the Chronicle of Higher Education for their 25-year retrospective c…
robertkelchen.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:22 AM
The Department of Education's negotiated rulemaking session on higher ed accountability starts today. Here is my first look at new program-level data that ED released, which also highlights the 30 percent of graduate and professional programs where average borrowing exceeds the new federal caps.
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
IPEDS has posted instructions for the ACTS survey component.
surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/public...
surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/public...
January 5, 2026 at 1:31 AM
IPEDS has posted instructions for the ACTS survey component.
surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/public...
surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/public...
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
Contrary to fears of indoctrination www.aeaweb.org/conference/2...
January 3, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Contrary to fears of indoctrination www.aeaweb.org/conference/2...
Reposted by Robert Kelchen
mods are asleep
have a cocktail and post a thread of old timey college football programs and other weird shit i found on pinterest time
have a cocktail and post a thread of old timey college football programs and other weird shit i found on pinterest time
January 3, 2026 at 2:53 AM
mods are asleep
have a cocktail and post a thread of old timey college football programs and other weird shit i found on pinterest time
have a cocktail and post a thread of old timey college football programs and other weird shit i found on pinterest time