Our system of higher education has inestimable value. For many decades, it has been widely and properly praised as the key to individual prosperity and as the driving force of American progress. In many ways, postsecondary education has been the engine that has propelled our nation to greatness.

Today, however, that engine is slowing. Like it or not, American higher education is no longer the unquestioned global leader, no longer the envy of the world. In fact, according to figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States – once the world leader in degree attainment – is now eighth among countries in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds who hold two-year and four-year college degrees. On this measure, while the U.S. has maintained the status quo in terms of educating its citizens, other countries have raced past us. It’s a disturbing and dangerous trend, and experts in economics, education and social policy are nearly unanimous in calling for changes that can help reverse it.

In its recent report, the Commission on the Future of Higher Education says it is “imperative that the nation give urgent attention to improving its system of higher education.” The commission, impaneled by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, lays out a plan that Spellings called “the beginning of a process of long-overdue reform.”

The plan calls on institutions, policymakers and the public to embrace and promote changes that will make our nation’s colleges and universities “more accessible, more affordable and more accountable, while maintaining world-class quality.” Clearly, strides must be made in all four of those areas if we hope to turn things around.

The good news is some of these strides are already being taken. At institutions all over the nation, innovative people are using new methods that make higher education cheaper, faster –and yes, even better – than ever before. This issue of Lumina Foundation Focus is all about that challenge. The stories on these pages – profiles of four innovative projects and the real-life students they benefit – are points of promise in higher education.

At Lumina Foundation, we hope to assistin the birth of a new era, one in which high-quality, affordable postsecondary education is available to all who seek it. To that end, we atLumina have set a concrete goal: By the year 2020, we want this nation to lead the world again in degree attainment among young adults.

It’s a challenging goal – one that will require the United States to produce at least 7 million more degrees than the current pace will generate – but it’s a goal we are embracing. In fact, we’re planning a major, multiyear initiative aimed directly at achieving that goal. We have allocated more than $25 million for the initiative, called Making Opportunity Affordable (MOA), and we’ll be sharing more detailed information about it in the next few months.

Until then, we share these promising snapshots, and we look forward to your continued partnership along the road to greater student success.