Lumina Foundation is working to increase the share of adults in the U.S. labor force with college degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity.
Harvard University and several other elite universities face serious funding and cultural threats from the Trump administration. But the majority of colleges in the United States are grappling with something else altogether: the coming demographic cliff. That's when higher education will confront the long-anticipated drop-off in the number of traditional-aged college students.
On this podcast, educators, enrollment consultants, and economists discuss the new era of college admissions caused by the demographic cliff, what it means for students, families, and employers, and how it's forcing recruiters to change the way they connect with today's learners.
Ana Bassett is a firm believer in second chances. That's why Bassett, a 48-year-old mother of four, decided to return to college after 28 years to be a mental health therapist—a dream she had put on hold after becoming a mother.
While far from an easy decision to go back to college, Bassett says the experience has been a tremendous confidence builder and a source of inspiration for her children. She describes more about her journey to Miami Dade College in this interview.
For Harvard University, the cavalry has arrived. When the nation’s oldest and richest college first rebuked the Trump administration last week amid efforts to force changes to its campus, other powerful universities were quick to come to its defense.
For defenders of American higher education, the wagon-circling prompted by Harvard’s resistance to the Trump administration is bringing a renewed sense of hope for the future.
For years, American colleges and universities have attracted growing numbers of international students who often pay full tuition, effectively subsidizing domestic students.
But the Trump administration’s recent move to deport hundreds of students here on visas and his trade war with China have stoked fears that the United States is no longer a welcoming place for international students. The loss of these students could hurt schools and the economy.
Sensitive student information required by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is protected by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act and has never been used for immigration enforcement purposes, according to the National Immigrant Law Center.
But under the norm-shattering Trump administration, there may be few guarantees—and that reality has some college-bound students concerned for their futures.
As U.S. colleges pull back on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and practices, students of color say they are starting to lose the central support systems that made them feel welcome on predominantly white campuses.
The full scope of campus DEI rollbacks is still emerging as colleges and universities respond to the Trump administration’s orders against diversity-related efforts. However, students at some schools believe that the early cuts are already eroding the sense of community that previously created access to higher education.
