CLICK HERE: Trust in Higher Ed is Rising - Even in a Heated Climate

[Juanita Martin]

• Having trouble viewing this Email? Click here to view in the browser. July 2025

  Trust in Higher Education Improves for the First Time in a Decade As political and budget pressures mount on colleges and universities, public trust in higher education is rebounding for the first time in a decade. A new Lumina Foundation-Gallup poll finds that 42 percent of Americans now have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in colleges and universities, up from just 36 percent last year. A separate survey from New America shows similar gains and reveals rare bipartisan agreement on the role of higher education. Americans overwhelmingly believe it should prepare students for careers (97 percent of Democrats, 98 percent of Republicans), cultivate informed citizens (97 percent of Democrats; 89 percent of Republicans), and foster critical thinking (97 percent of Democrats; 92 percent of Republicans). Even amid rising confidence, the New America survey also finds nearly half of Americans remain concerned about college affordability. Differences emerge over who should fund it. When asked who should fund higher education, 54 percent say government, citing its broader societal benefits. Another 44 percent point to students, noting the personal advantages they receive. Read more from the Lumina Foundation-Gallup poll and New America Varying Degrees survey.    Supreme Court Allows Deep Cuts to U.S. Education Department Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in New York v. McMahon that the federal government can proceed with reduction in force plans to lay off nearly half of the Department of Education’s staff even as challenges to the measures' legality proceed in lower courts. The decision marks a significant development in ongoing efforts to reduce the agency’s size and scope. The Education Department is reducing its workforce while also taking on new responsibilities from the Congressional budget reconciliation bill signed into law this month. For higher education, these include developing two student loan repayment programs, setting updated borrowing limits, and expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include short-term programs. Read perspectives on the rulings from AP News, Inside Higher Ed, NPR,  The National Review, The New York Times, Reuters, SCOTUS Blog, and The Wall Street Journal.    Make Your Voice Heard Before the August Recess: Protect Funding for Arts, Humanities, and Sciences in FY 2026 On July 14, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee proposed drastic cuts to the arts, humanities, and sciences for FY2026. The National Endowments in the Arts and Humanities, which Phi Beta Kappa played a key role in founding, are at serious risk. Each would see a 35 percent cut in funding to $135 million from their current $207 million levels if enacted. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is also facing major cuts. Lawmakers in the House are considering a 2026 budget of $7 billion for the agency—a possible 23 percent drop in funding. That’s more than $2 billion less than what NSF currently receives. With budget decisions looming in Congress, now is the time to act. Please join the Society in asking your U.S. Senator to protect critical cultural and scientific investments today. Protect the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences   • What the Final Reconciliation Bill Means for Campuses Nationwide  • Measuring the Value of Arts & Sciences Education •  Get Packing, Mathematically • Bug Appétit: Hungary’s Oldest Library Under Attack by Book-Hungry Beetles • How Agatha Christie Used Chemistry for Killer Books  • Highway Lines: Poetry for Summer Travel  Phi Beta Kappa’s National Arts and Sciences Initiative is made possible by the generosity of Contributing Members who make an annual gift in support of the Society’s diverse programming.

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