In This Issue
 ·Student success at community colleges
 ·Building high expectations for African-American students 
 ·View "The Future." It's not your typical annual report

ACCESS: HELPING OLDER STUDENTS SUCCEED
Opening doors and changing lives
Low-income, older students attending community colleges are more likely to succeed if they receive extra support, including additional financial aid and special learning environments. MDRC, a nonprofit social policy research organization, is testing a range of programs and strategies to learn which ones have the greatest impact on achievement. More...

ACCESS: ENCOURAGEMENT
High expectations for academic excellence
The Center for Leadership Development (CLD) focuses on high expectations for African-American teens. More than half of teenagers who attended CLD programs have graduated from college. Lumina Foundation supports CLD's College Prep Institute, which is highlighted in a guest column in The Indianapolis Star. More...

ACCESS: POLICY
SHEEO examines accountability  systems
The National Commission on Accountability in Higher Education, co-chaired by former Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, met earlier this month to hear testimony from higher education associations, agencies and a research advisory group. More... The commission, launched earlier this year by the association of State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), is reviewing how states have improved performance in higher education through the use of accountability systems. More...

SUCCESS: FROM SCHOOL TO WORK
Schooling for the real world: Integrating life and learning
Students who participate in work-based learning activities at four-year postsecondary institutions do as well as or better academically than students who do not participate in these activities, according to a new study. The Educational Policy Institute, in association with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, released the May 2004 report. More...

Lumina Foundation Focus magazine: Refuse to lose
Only 55 percent of students who embark on bachelor's degrees at four-year institutions end up with a degree six years later. As millions of students swell the ranks of U.S. colleges and universities, they challenge institutions to foster success among increasingly diverse student bodies. Read "Refuse to Lose" to learn more about factors that affect student success. (PDF version)

State financial strategies affect college access
The buying power of the federal Pell grant has dropped sharply as college costs have increased, reducing college access for lower-income students. This trend raises the stakes on need-based financial aid from the states. Expanding College Access: The Impact of State Finance Strategies, a Lumina Foundation research report, explores the impact of state finance strategies on college enrollment. Review a summary of the report.

The Future: Lumina Foundation annual report
At Lumina Foundation, we firmly believe education is the best way to help people achieve their potential and improve our nation's future. Learn more by reading our
2003 annual report (PDF) or view our online version.

Lumina Foundation publications
Communication initiatives are central to our mission, and we offer a range of publications to disseminate information about our work on behalf of student access and success beyond high school. More...

Visit www.luminafoundation.org

In the interest of encouraging discourse about postsecondary access and success, this newsletter links to high-quality publications that do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation or its Board of Directors.  In some cases, the Foundation may have funded publications and resources to which we link.

National partnership to benefit low-income students
Lumina Foundation has teamed up with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) to expand College Goal Sunday, a successful program that helps low-income families apply for college financial aid. More...

Online Toolkit
The National College Access Network has launched Building Blocks, its online toolkit for college access practitioners. The Web-based toolkit will provide communities and states with resources, documents and expertise for replicating and adapting successful college access models. More...

Shedding light on affordability
Changing Direction: Integrating Higher Education Financial Aid and Financing Policy is a national forum that could help make college more affordable for low-income students.  Learn more...

Your feedback is important
We strive to provide you with useful, timely information about access and success in postsecondary education.  Tell us what you think.  Contact us and let us know how this newsletter can better serve the mission of improved student access and success.

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