An article fromWeek in review: The conservative vision for higher ed

We’re rounding up recent stories, from a request from U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to cuts at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Published Aug. 10, 2026Natalie Schwartz Senior Editor

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U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon testifies before House lawmakers on May 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. McMahon recently urged college leaders to commit to major reforms before the end of 2026. Heather Diehl via Getty ImagesMost-clicked story of the week:

The Illinois Institute of Technology laid off 160 employees ahead of its fall term, a move a spokesperson said was needed to “ensure fiscal stability.” The private nonprofit’s enrollment had been strong up until recently, when its headcount declined over 15% to 7,502 students in fall 2025 compared to the year before. 

That’s the size of the budget deficit that Minnesota State University, Mankato is facing over the next two years, according to officials. To address the gap, the university plans to lay off 17 employees, cut vacant roles and hike tuition by over 6%, among other measures. 

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• U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to college leaders last week asking them to commit to major policy reforms before the end of the year. Her letter asks leaders to share with the public how they plan to address the Trump administration’s priorities for higher education, ranging from adopting clear admissions criteria to fighting grade inflation. 
• The letter focuses on many of the same issues as the compact the Trump administration sent to nine prominent research universities last year. However, McMahon takes a different tack by urging colleges to detail their own reforms on their websites instead of committing to specific policies laid out by federal officials. 
• Just a day after McMahon issued her letter, The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, released a model bill meant to “codify the principles” of the Trump administration’s 2025 compact. However, the model bill differs significantly from — and often goes further than — the compact, including by proposing more power for state leaders over faculty hiring and putting colleges on the hook financially for some students who don’t graduate within eight years. 

• The Georgia Institute of Technology announced late last month it would scrap its supplemental admissions essay in a bid to simplify the application process. This followed a similar move that the University of Georgia announced in May. Both selective institutions will still require prospective undergraduates to submit the Common App personal essay as part of their applications.
• In a similar vein, Yale University is discarding some of its previous application questions, including a long-running essay prompt asking students about why they were seeking admission to the institution. 
• The three colleges join a larger trend of selective higher education institutions dropping supplemental essay questions for several reasons. One is the proliferation of artificial intelligence, and another is the desire to remove barriers to the application process, The Washington Post reported.

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