Federal lawmakers are moving toward approving a new spending plan that maintains the U.S. Department of Education; however, the Trump administration may continue its unilateral funding and agency staffing maneuvers. The bill, as currently written, would provide equal funding for key federal programs serving low-income students and students with disabilities as provided in recent years. 

Education leaders anticipate that ongoing legislative changes will cause turbulence this year, with continued hurdles from artificial intelligence and technology use. EdSurge journalists distill key themes to expect this year, including potential fallout from Department of Education changes, continued immigration raids, and how plunging academic performance may be curbed.

Overall college enrollment increased 1% in the Fall 2025 semester, reflecting 187,000 new students. Community college undergraduate enrollment increased 3% and four-year public institution undergraduate enrollment increased 1.4%, but private four-year nonprofit undergraduate enrollment declined 1.6% and private four-year for-profit undergraduate enrollment declined 2%. This article shares the full data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

An 11-year-old boy with autism died from complications of a seizure disorder in 2024. The child’s mother has sued a special education provider whose employees confined the child in a “makeshift classroom prison” where he struck his head days before his death. The lawsuit claims the student was kept in the seclusion area for more than two hours, and his injury was not reported but could have contributed to his seizure days later. 

Medicaid changes enacted in July require adults aged 19-64 who rely on Medicaid for health coverage to meet certain work requirements. Qualified family caregivers, however, are exempt from those changes. Several million college students serve as caregivers, which could affect their ability to obtain health coverage while pursuing their education. This article examines the changes and how states may implement new policies to address coverage gaps.

The Trump administration’s continued focus on immigration and overhaul of the H-1B visa process will impact international student enrollment through this year. Education and policy experts are monitoring updates on Optional Practical Training, which enables international students to gain post-graduation work experience in the U.S. and will likely face scrutiny. Experts also anticipate international student enrollments will continue to decline in 2026, following a 17% decline in the Fall 2025 semester.

Recently filed legislation could prohibit the seclusion of students in schools and ban certain restraint practices. The bill would provide grants to train school personnel to address behaviors with evidence-based, proactive strategies. In the 2021-2022 academic year, more than 100,000 public school students were reported to have been physically or mechanically restrained or placed in seclusion to address behavioral issues.

A 10-year-old student in Virginia slipped on a cafeteria floor that had recently been cleaned by staff members, causing injuries that required immediate surgery. School officials have denied liability and have not released footage of the incident, citing that the footage reveals the identity of other children at the school. The district is involved in other legal challenges from parents, including a family whose child with autism was allegedly left on a bus. 

The budget reconciliation bill signed into law in July takes effect this month, ending fiscal incentives to expand Medicaid, increasing costs for Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees, and limiting medical students’ options to pay student loans. The American Medical Association reviews four changes in this article, including supplemental resources detailing how the changes will likely impact college students.