News and views in higher education attainment from Lumina Foundation

Featured Story

Mental health Is A Major Problem On College Campuses—Here’s What We Can Do

Emotional stress is causing more students to leave college and keeping others from enrolling, at a time when people need post-high school education more than ever—and the country desperately needs their talent.

Jamie MerisotisMarch 31, 2023

Alisa A. Miller. 2015 photo from Chicago Booth

Tech entrepreneur to lead Lumina Foundation board

Lumina Foundation’s board of directors has elected tech entrepreneur Alisa Miller as its new leader. She will serve a three-year term as board chair. Miller began her board service in 2015, and she succeeds Kathy Davis, who will remain on the Lumina board.

March 31, 2023

Mother walks with child on public sidewalk.

We know what works to help student parents afford childcare. Communities can learn from this Maine program.

Many adult learners can’t afford hot meals or shelter. If they’re parents, they can’t afford child care. Three out of five college students say they lack the necessities of life, with students of color disproportionately affected.

Katy Launius March 28, 2023

Featured Podcast

Addressing Mental Health on College Campuses

Dakota PawlickiMarch 29, 2023

FILTERED BY AUTHOR:

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.

Frank Swanzy Essien Jr. is responsible for Lumina’s work around identifying and synthesizing existing research and evidence as well as commissioning new research to inform Lumina and the broader field.

Student Supports

Adults can return to college, finish, and thrive—with a little support

Most adults who return to college can persevere and graduate—if they have enough time and financial support, a new report shows. Nearly three-quarters of the returning adults surveyed earned a postsecondary credential, and most who hadn’t still planned to do so. 

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.May 9, 2022

Research and Evaluation

Millions are signing up for job training, but are the courses worth it?

Noncredit workforce programs are on the front lines of serving our nation’s need for new skills. But these programs vary widely—raising the question of how to ensure positive results for 5 million students who enroll in these courses every year to build better careers and lives.

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.Feb. 22, 2022

Military Learning

Veterans deserve help with military ‘skills translation’ to get college credit

A new survey shows that U.S. military members and veterans who return to college often struggle to get academic credit for what they’ve learned and the skills they’ve mastered in the service.

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.Dec. 8, 2021

Research and Evaluation

Industry certifications offer clear path to jobs during the COVID recovery—and beyond

Americans struggling to find and keep jobs amid the global pandemic are discovering a clear path to employment: high-quality credentials that prove both knowledge and skills.

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.Nov. 9, 2020

Research and Evaluation

College credit where credit is due – the move toward ‘recognition for prior learning’

With a little help, nearly 36 million Americans who spent some time at college but never finished could be encouraged to resume their studies and get their degrees.

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.Dec. 11, 2019

Today's Credentials

The time is right to ensure that all quality learning counts

People who want to learn but can’t afford or get access to education and training after high school should be helped with high-quality programs that result in degrees, certificates, and other credentials. As always, though, the question is, how do we ensure that new programs live up to their promise of offering pathways to new…

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.Nov. 12, 2019

Today's Credentials

Inside the Big Confusing Credentialing Tent: A New Mission to Understand Non-Degree Credentials

New research is showing the growing value of credentials—but the trouble is, no one seems to fully grasp what credentials are, or how to decipher terms like non-degree and sub-degree.

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr., Holly ZanvilleJune 28, 2019

Research and Evaluation

It’s what you know and how you apply it that matter … not whether you sat through the class

Competency-based education programs are growing in popularity and are seen by schools as an important way to reach adult learners and emphasize job readiness among graduates, a new study shows.

Frank Swanzy Essien, Jr.May 13, 2019