Adult Pathways Colleges buck enrollment trends by increasing their supports for students More than 40 million people in this country have attended college but stopped before completing a degree, and I can understand why. Jamie MerisotisMay 29, 2023
Research and Evaluation How do we bounce back from the enrollment plunge? Four colleges show the way. A new National Student Clearinghouse report says 40.4 million Americans have some college but no degree, up from 39 million a year ago. Courtney Brown May 24, 2023
Today's Credentials Think carefully before deciding to delay the path to or through college Taking a break between high school and college, or in the middle of your studies, is tempting. After all, the learning process can be hard, and exhausting. But the times we are in call for caution when it comes to any delays in education. Jamie Merisotis May 15, 2023
Federal Policy Forget ‘divisive concepts’—Colleges promote the thinking skills critical for democracy New voices are joining the national debate over academic freedom on college campuses, and that’s good for democracy. Jamie MerisotisMay 1, 2023
Federal Policy We all benefit from diversity in college admissions—Let’s not go backward now Oral arguments before the Supreme Court at the end of this month will provide a dramatic setting for the national debate over the fairness of race-conscious admissions in higher education. Jamie MerisotisOct. 28, 2022
Federal Policy Job seekers with no degrees—but plenty of skills—need and deserve more With fierce competition for talent in today’s labor market, many employers ask if a college degree is really necessary. Kermit KalebaAug. 18, 2022
Federal Policy Time to weigh in: IPEDS could restrict the race and ethnicity reporting of undocumented students Freedom gives us, as Americans, the power to choose. It makes our form of government unique in several practical ways. One is the opportunity to create and own our own identity, a practice praised by rugged individualists and inclusivity activists alike. Chris MullinApril 21, 2022
Federal Policy Trimmed version of Build Back Better still offers critical job training and other help for adult students Free community college is missing from the proposed new $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act, but the measure still provides significant help for adult students and the colleges that help them learn and earn. Kermit KalebaNov. 12, 2021
Federal Policy College students could see ‘generational’ benefit from pandemic support - if we do this right Federal emergency dollars for colleges and universities provide a generational opportunity – not only to respond to the pandemic, but to reimagine how institutions support current and prospective students. This is especially true for those who know that college can be helpful but aren’t sure how to fit it into their complex lives. Terri TaylorMay 12, 2021
Federal Policy Biden’s Education secretary must expel the harmful policies of the last four years A spirit of hard-hearted antagonism toward the missions of many federal agencies and the government workers serving them haunts the halls of the buildings along Independence Avenue, perhaps none more so than the Department of Education. Jamie MerisotisFeb. 25, 2021
Federal Policy Higher education’s $50 billion problem At a time when society needs it more than ever, higher education in the United States is in crisis. Costs to students and their families continue to rise, states are questioning their level of investment, quality is eroding, racial attainment gaps are increasing, operating deficits at the institution level are accelerating, schools are closing,… Brad Kelsheimer, Courtney BrownDec. 9, 2020
Federal Policy We’ve seen close elections before; let’s commit to letting the process work—and to making the country better This morning, it appears many 2020 races — notably a divisive presidential election — won’t be decided for a longer period than we’re accustomed to, as many paper ballots are yet to be counted. Jamie MerisotisNov. 4, 2020
Federal Policy When it comes to student borrowers of color, policymakers should explore the shades of gray The last recession consumed the modest wealth of Black and Hispanic communities, further deepening racial wealth divides and burdening college students from these communities with higher loan debt. Today, the United States is experiencing another severe economic downturn, with record-high unemployment fueled by a pandemic—and it’s affecting college affordability even more dramatically. Wayne Taliaferro, Katherine WheatleJuly 14, 2020
Federal Policy Honor the treaties: Deliver on promises to educate Native Americans In an interview with Amanda R. Tachine, assistant professor of higher education at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, and Jameson David “J.D.” Lopez, assistant professor of educational policy studies and practice at the College of Education, University of Arizona, I discussed the importance of Native American voices in policy dialogues about affordability… Katherine WheatleJuly 14, 2020
Federal Policy The story of Latino borrowers’ academic persistence is missing from state and federal policy dialogues In an interview with Janette Martinez, a senior policy and research analyst at Excelencia in Education, I discussed the importance of Hispanic voices in policy dialogues about affordability and student borrowing. Wayne TaliaferroJuly 14, 2020
Federal Policy Policymaking to aid Black borrowers shouldn’t happen without Black experts in the room In an interview with Dominique Baker, assistant professor of education policy, Simmons School of Education & Human Development, Southern Methodist University, I discussed the importance of Black voices in policy dialogues about affordability and student borrowing. Read more on Lumina’s “Borrowers of Color” project. Wayne TaliaferroJuly 14, 2020
Federal Policy How to Build a Post-Pandemic America The Works Progress Administration (WPA), a federal agency created in 1935 to address the nation’s then-worst economic catastrophe, is getting a fresh look as we think about how to help millions of Americans left jobless in the pandemic. There’s a good reason for why. During its eight-year tenure, the WPA put more than eight million… Jamie Merisotis, Jesse O'ConnellJuly 2, 2020
