Underlining what matters in higher ed and ed tech: news, vendor updates, and commentary from across the field, in one place.https://theunderline.netlify.app/source/ihep/https://www.ihep.org/all-college-programs-now-face-an-earnings-premium-test-heres-what-you-need-to-know/https://www.ihep.org/all-college-programs-now-face-an-earnings-premium-test-heres-what-you-need-to-know/The new federal earnings premium test has generated a lot of discussion, and with it, some confusion. Will it ban certain colleges’ majors? No. Instead, the rule sets a basic expectation: college programs enrolling students who receive federal student aid must show that the program leaves their graduates better off…Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:21:19 GMTLauren BellOrgs & Researchhttps://www.ihep.org/where-things-stand-with-key-postsecondary-data-collections-at-nces/https://www.ihep.org/where-things-stand-with-key-postsecondary-data-collections-at-nces/Early last year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), decimated the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Those actions involved cancelling contracts, cutting staff, and disrupting the data collections that researchers and policymakers rely on to…Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:48:32 GMTLauren BellOrgs & Researchhttps://www.ihep.org/voices-from-the-field-how-acts-compliance-strained-student-supports-at-the-university-of-findlay/https://www.ihep.org/voices-from-the-field-how-acts-compliance-strained-student-supports-at-the-university-of-findlay/Kristen Lindsay is the Director of Institutional Research (IR) and Assessment, and the sole dedicated IR professional, at the University of Findlay (UF). In late 2025, when the Department of Education launched the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) data collection, she was forced to pivot projects…Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:51:43 GMTLauren BellOrgs & Researchhttps://www.ihep.org/how-the-education-department-can-strengthen-ipeds-data-quality/https://www.ihep.org/how-the-education-department-can-strengthen-ipeds-data-quality/Over the last year, colleges and universities across the country bore the brunt of a rushed rollout for a new federal data collection. Unlike prior updates to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the new Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) was developed and implemented in a…Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:19:23 GMTGeneva TackieOrgs & Researchhttps://www.ihep.org/postsecondary-data-for-action-network-convenes-in-washington-to-turn-evidence-into-policy-change/https://www.ihep.org/postsecondary-data-for-action-network-convenes-in-washington-to-turn-evidence-into-policy-change/Nearly 50 higher education professionals from 12 institutions and campus systems gathered in Washington, DC on July 15 and 16 for a convening of the Postsecondary Data for Action Network (PDAN). Launched by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in late…Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:20 GMTGeneva TackieOrgs & Researchhttps://www.ihep.org/how-a-postsecondary-student-success-grant-propels-data-driven-action-at-ut-san-antonio/https://www.ihep.org/how-a-postsecondary-student-success-grant-propels-data-driven-action-at-ut-san-antonio/At the University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), a bipartisan federal grant designed to boost college completion is helping campus leaders identify strategies that support students who are the first in their families to attend college thrive on campus and in their studies. Since 2022, the Postsecondary…Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:46:32 GMTGeneva TackieOrgs & Researchhttps://www.ihep.org/postsecondary-data-for-action-network-spotlight-how-the-university-of-northern-iowa-uses-data-to-strengthen-student-retention-and-success/https://www.ihep.org/postsecondary-data-for-action-network-spotlight-how-the-university-of-northern-iowa-uses-data-to-strengthen-student-retention-and-success/Colleges and universities often point to retention and graduation rates as key measures of success. However, improving student outcomes requires looking beyond aggregate metrics at disaggregated data to better understand how different groups of students are experiencing college, where barriers may exist, and what…Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:46:06 GMTGeneva TackieOrgs & Research