News and views in higher education attainment from Lumina Foundation

Featured Story

Racial Equity

We grieve because of racial injustice. We hope because our work to help more people learn creates opportunity.

The tragic, senseless death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police and the resulting cries of anguish have profoundly affected all of us at Lumina Foundation.

Jamie MerisotisJune 1, 2020

Work and Learning

Graduates: “Build your empathy, ethics - your ’human skills‘”

I had the chance this week to congratulate family members of the Lumina staff in an online graduation speech for our colleagues as they worked from home. About a dozen graduates could be seen with family and friends in our virtual “crowd,” some of whom wore the traditional academic robes and caps normally seen at…

Jamie MerisotisMay 22, 2020

Work and Learning

The gap year fantasy

The uncertainty and anxiety that COVID-19 has wrought on college students and higher education institutions has generated a flurry of articles and conversations about students taking “gap years” as a way to bridge the learning challenge that the virus presents.

Jamie MerisotisMay 21, 2020

Featured Podcast

Student Supports

Looking past the pandemic: Educators from Michigan, Texas, and Illinois ponder the changes wrought by COVID

Dakota PawlickiMay 11, 2020

Wayne Taliaferro

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Wayne Taliaferro

Wayne Taliaferro is Lumina's strategy officer for finance and federal policy. He previously worked at the Center for Law and Social Policy's (CLASP) Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success, where he was a senior policy analyst.

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Federal Policy

COVID relief for higher ed has to mean serious – and long-overdue – support for student parents

The federal stimulus plan directs $6.28 billion in emergency aid to college students. The relief fund has drawn support for its novelty as well as criticism amid its restrictions and rollout. But what it does include is an additional avenue of support for a group that is often overlooked in higher ed discussions – students…

Wayne TaliaferroMay 5, 2020

Federal Policy

The rest of America could benefit as LA helps former students earn college degrees

Nearly half a million adults in the Los Angeles area have completed some college but didn’t finish their degrees, according to the U.S. Census. Nationally, the figure is about 35 million Americans, or roughly 20 percent of the population between 25 and 64. Responsibilities at work and at home can make it incredibly challenging for…

Wayne TaliaferroOct. 9, 2019

Prison Education

Let’s focus on quality and equity in higher education for incarcerated students

In a town marked by partisan gridlock, criminal justice reform conversations in Washington have surprisingly moved beyond those frequent stalemates. Yes, challenges and disagreements endure, but access to higher education for people in prison has gained new levels of attention and support. The boost in momentum has catapulted issues like restoring Pell grant access into…

Wayne TaliaferroSept. 12, 2019

Prison Education

Real justice demands a second chance — for education

April is National Second Chance Month, a month dedicated to centering the voices, experiences, and promise of people affected by the criminal justice system. It’s a time to unify around the principles of justice, fairness, and redemption.

Wayne TaliaferroApril 19, 2019

Prison Education

Prison education: Making the most of a second chance

Since 1994, when the Violent Crimes Act banned incarcerated people from receiving federal financial aid, millions of Americans have cycled through prisons, only a fraction able to obtain high-quality higher education.

Haley Glover, Jesse O'Connell, Wayne TaliaferroMarch 5, 2019

Federal Policy

Federal regulations should put today’s students first

This week, the U.S. Department of Education began negotiating regulations that govern higher education. We at Lumina Foundation care deeply about this process and its results.

Wayne TaliaferroJan. 16, 2019