An article from This week in 5 numbers: University of Pennsylvania hit with $175M in stop-work orders

We’re rounding up recent stories, from another Ivy League institution’s federal funding woes to legislative proposals that could skyrocket the taxes wealthy colleges pay on their endowments.

Published March 28, 2025 Laura Spitalniak Editor

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From the Trump administration's multimillion dollar pause on the University of Pennyvania's research budget to conservative efforts to raise the endowment tax, we’re rounding up the top-line figures from some of our biggest stories of the week. 

By the numbers   $175M The value of the federally contracted research at the University of Pennsylvania that the Trump administration issued stop-work orders on last week. The funding was pulled over the president’s rule on transgender athletes, even though the Ivy League institution said this week it is in full compliance.   1.4% The current endowment taxation rate for colleges with 500 or more tuition-paying students and at least $500,000 in endowment funds per student. Republicans are considering proposals that could raise the rate to 14% and beyond for wealthy colleges.   4,600 The number of higher education institutions that Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce ranks on their return on investment. The center recently updated its ROI database to account for colleges' long-term economic returns.   27% The expected decline in New York's traditional-aged college student population from 2023 to 2041, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Colleges, especially those in the Northeast, are now bracing for the long-anticipated demographic cliff to hit.   16% The rate the State University of New York at Albany expects to cut its annual fossil fuel consumption as part of a new decarbonization project. The $30 million initiative will allow the public institution to turn off unneeded heating during the summer. waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'mobile' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid1-mobile'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); }); waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'desktop' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-desktop'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-desktop'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); });

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