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Student Access & Success News archive

May 2008

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April 2007

KnowHow2GO: College-access campaign informed by research
The Ad Council has launched a national advertising campaign that seeks to demystify college for low-income students, many of whom are baffled by the process of gaining access to higher education.

March 2007

Lumina publication recommends ways to improve student tracking data
State policymakers see a growing need for better information about student progression. Critical Connections, a Lumina publication, examines the idea of linking student data from multiple states to track students on a national basis.

December 2006

First in the family: Your college years
Many students who begin postsecondary education drop out before completing a degree. Graduation rates are particularly low for first-generation students. A new book, First in the Family: Your College Years, is told in the voices of students who are living the hard path toward the diploma and provides step-by-step advice for those who will follow.

October 2006

Fixing the African-American male achievement gap
Graduation rates are particularly low for African-American males. But members of Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) chapters are beating the odds. In the last decade, SAAB has helped 86 percent of its participants graduate from college.

September 2006

Caring adults help kids get to college
The latest issue of Lumina Foundation Focus takes a look at the heroes of college access: the counselors, mentors and advocates who work with today's young people to help them become tomorrow's college graduates.

August 2006

National education initiative expands to 23 new campuses
Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count will expand to new campuses in Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington state. This initiative gives colleges grant money and support to implement strategies that will help students earn degrees, complete certificates or transfer to continue their studies.

June 2006

Creating a culture for college
Project GRAD creates a college-bound culture for under-served communities. This national education reform program helps low-income students graduate from high school and prepares them for college.

May 2006

Project to study educational attainment of Hispanic males
The post-secondary attainment rate of Hispanic males declined from 1990 to 2000, according to the U.S. Census. A Lumina-funded project will examine employer-sponsored education programs to see if they can increase college access and attainment for Hispanic male immigrants.

April 2006

Helping independent students pay for school
Determining student financial aid is not an exact science – especially for independent students. Often it leaves out important factors, such as child care payments. A new research report, Fixing the Formula (PDF), proposes a more reliable method for determining independent students' financial aid.

March 2006

Rio Salado: High student success at a low cost
By using a team approach to develop courses, employing part-time adjunct faculty, and using technology to the fullest extent, Rio Salado College keeps costs nearly
40 percent lower than other colleges in the area.


February 2006

New tool for policy-makers: The Educational Needs Index
The Education Needs Index is a county-level study of educational, economic, and population pressures that influence educational policy and planning at local, regional, and state levels.

January 2006

College Goal Sunday extends its reach
In 2005, more than 17,000 people received help at 300 College Goal Sunday sites in 18 states. This year, the program has expanded to 25 states. Find out if it’s offered in your state.

December 2005

Expert offers observations of College Costs Summit
Hechinger Institute Director Richard Colvin attended the summit and offered his take on the event. "The most striking aspect of Lumina Foundation’s national summit on college costs on Nov. 2 was the bracingly honest conversations," he said. "The presenters did not minimize the challenges."

October 2005

Experts offer solutions to college cost crisis
As part of its college cost initiative, Lumina Foundation has produced a compilation of essays about rising college costs. These essays are part of Lumina's effort to raise awareness and discussion of rising college costs in order to find more effective solutions.

September 2005

Lumina begins national dialogue on rising college costs
To brainstorm solutions to rising college costs, Lumina Foundation is sponsoring a national invitational summit on Nov. 2, 2005, in Washington, DC. As part of this effort, the Foundation also has launched a new Web site, www.collegecosts.info.

August 2005 issue

First-generation college students give advice about their experiences
First in Family, a new book published by What Kids Can Do, tells first-generation college students to remember the three Cs as they begin their college journey: conversations, connections and confidence.

July 2005 issue

Community colleges implement plans to help non-traditional and at-risk students
In phase 2 of Achieving the Dream, participating colleges receive $400,000 to implement ideas developed during phase 1. Some ideas include offering students remedial and developmental courses and establishing learning communities and mentoring programs.

May 2005 issue

College Goal Sunday expands
Since its inception in 1989, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 100,000 participants through the financial aid application process. Read about the College Goal Sunday events in three states.

April 2005 issue

"College without walls" offers flexible education
Rio Salado College serves about 42,000 students through a flexible system. In addition to the online distance learning program, this college works with area corporations and government agencies to offer more than 300 courses. Students have access to a Technology Help Desk for computer issues, an Instructional Help Desk for coursework questions, and tutoring assistance by cell phone.

March 2005 issue

Pilot program changes kids' views of college
High school students participate in a program that introduces them to college using workshops and fieldtrips. The goal of the program is to determine whether early college advising can increase the number of low-income and minority students who pursue and successfully complete postsecondary education.

February 2005 issue

Higher education has national benefits
This 50-state analysis, prepared by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, shows that support for postsecondary education is an investment that has return benefits for both indivudual students and society.

January 2005 issue

Achieving the Dream to serve community college students
This multi-year initiative will examine community colleges in an effort to improve the success of the growing number of students who attend these institutions — including high proportions of low-income, minority and first-generation college students.  

December 2004 issue

McCabe Fund evaluations find best practices
Evaluations of McCabe Fund recipients reveal successful pre-college programs that help low-income, minority and first-generation students gain access to postsecondary education.

November 2004 issue

College costs are increasingly difficult for low-income and single-parent families
As college tuition increases faster than family incomes, low-income students struggle to pay for higher education.

October 2004 issue

Lumina Foundation names panel to review solutions to rising college costs
National experts will review papers submitted in response to Lumina Foundation's Collision Course initiative on college affordability. Decision-makers in higher education, state and federal government, secondary education and the public were invited to present their ideas.

September 2004 issue

Making academic excellence the norm
With a grant from Lumina Foundation, Indiana high schools boost interest and success in Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

August 2004 issue

CAEL tool helps campuses improve
A two-part survey developed by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) can help colleges and universities identify issues important to adult learners.
May 2004 issue

Helping Adult Learners Succeed
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.

April 2004 issue

Latino policy-makers and funders explore Hispanic attainment
Only about 20 percent of college-age Latino students are enrolled in college, compared with 41 percent of whites, 31 percent of blacks and 60 percent of Asian Americans.  A February conference brought together funders and Latino policy-makers who explored ways to improve Hispanic attainment.

March 2004 issue

College Goal Sunday attendance surges
An aggressive media blitz, guidance counselor buy-in and intensive planning paid off in Kansas this year. Nationwide, the program has helped more than 100,000 students work through financial aid application paperwork.

American Council on Education (ACE) releases Adult Learners report
This report — the first part of a three-year project undertaken by ACE and Lumina Foundation — examines the challenges low-income adults face in seeking higher education.

February 2004 issue:

The secret of LaGuardia's success
Two-thirds of LaGuardia Community College students were born outside the United States and many students are the first in their family to attend college. Yet 60 percent of LaGuardia's students go on to four-year schools. What is the secret of LaGuardia's success?

Pathways challenges leaders to improve college access
The Pathways to College Network has released A Shared Agenda, outlining recommendations to make a college education a realistic goal for all Americans. Recommendations include making college-preparatory curriculum the standard for all students and providing early financial aid commitments, assuring students support if they take steps to prepare for college.


January 2004 issue:

Academic standards surge as DePauw increases campus minority population
A Midwest university has invested in attracting more minority students and minority faculty and staff.

Rigorous Prep for Prep program begins with "academic boot camp"
Fourteen years ago Dan-el Padilla Peralta moved to America from the Dominican Republic.  Now, he's a prize-winning student at Princeton, studying the classics.


November 2003 issue:

College: The Second Time Around
Anna Marie Archuleta-Jones, a single mother of three, credits support programs at the Community College of Denver for her success.

Closing the Gap at the Community College of Baltimore County
Born and raised in Harlem, with degrees from three Ivy League institutions, Dr. Irving McPhail is embarking on a campaign to close the achievement gap between minority students and their white counterparts.