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 Community Colleges: Across the United States nearly 1,200 community colleges play a vital role in higher education. They enroll more than 11.5 million students — nearly half of all undergraduates — and they attract high proportions of low-income, minority and first-generation college students. Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count is a national initiative to help more community college students succeed, particularly students of color and low-income students. The initiative works on multiple fronts — including efforts at community colleges and in research, public engagement and public policy — and emphasizes the use of data to drive change. More... |
No issue is more important than the matter of affordability in keeping open the doors of college opportunity, particularly for students from low-income groups. Over the past several years, dramatic increases in college costs have raised the issue's importance even further. To draw attention to this issue and begin a national dialogue, Lumina Foundation, in collaboration with the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, sponsored a national invitational summit on November 2, 2005. Lumina Foundation recognizes that a combination of forces has created the problem, and solutions will require shared responsibility among all stakeholders. The initiative will be driven by decision-makers in higher education, representatives of secondary schools, the private sector, federal and state governments, families and students - all of whom will work together to share insights and practical experience in making college more affordable, accessible and achievable. Publications lay out background, identify potential strategies To help raise the level of discussion and generate constructive ideas for solutions, Lumina Foundation for Education is embarking on a collaborative initiative to create a national dialogue on the college cost issue. It begins with a policy brief titled: Collision Course: Rising college costs threaten America's future and require shared solutions. The policy brief lays out the essential background of the problem and identifies potential strategies that stakeholder groups might consider in addressing the issue. These strategies are neither comprehensive nor sacred. Rather, they are intended as a point of departure for elevated discourse on this issue. Another publication that speaks to the issue of rising college costs is Lumina's Focus magazine entitled Dreams Detoured: Rising college costs alter plans and threaten futures. This publication tackles the college cost issue head on, showing how cost often dictates the path students take on their road to higher education. In addition, this issue explores the problem from the varied perspectives of students, families, administrators and policy-makers. For more information Contact Dianna Boyce Communications Associate dboyce@luminafoundation.org 317.951.5116. |
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