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.
Founded by an abolitionist minister as the first interracial, coeducational college in the South, tiny Berea College now serves about 1,550 students. Ninety-nine percent are low- and moderate-income Pell Grant recipients, who pay no tuition and graduate nearly debt-free. Most remain in the region, strengthening the local economy and its future.
In this interview, the president of Berea College talks about the school's philosophy, approach, and formula for student success.
Shivaka Sing had one goal: to attend college at the University at Buffalo, a public research university in western New York. While Sing, a psychology major from New Delhi, ultimately achieved her dream, other students from India were not so fortunate. Because of actions by the Trump administration, many of them couldn't get a visa appointment in time to start the fall semester.
At the University at Buffalo, the overall decline of about 15 percent of international students is happening mostly in graduate programs, especially in the STEM fields. But it's not just Buffalo. Universities all over the country are experiencing similar drops.
President Donald Trump recently referred to U.S. museums as "the last remaining segment of WOKE," specifically criticizing the Smithsonian for its focus on "how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been." Trump then pledged to have his attorneys begin a review process similar to the actions taking place with colleges and universities.
For many historians and scholars, Trump’s comments are not just a criticism of specific exhibits but part of a broader campaign to reshape how Americans understand the past.
Repayment rules for federal student loans have become a contentious policy issue, subject to frequent changes from one administration to the next. In just eight months of the Trump presidency, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has brought major changes to what borrowers can expect, vastly different loan eligibility requirements, and new repayment obligations.
With a student loan system in flux, many borrowers are confused and seeking clarity. Loan experts weigh in on what’s coming and what borrowers can do now.
On September 1, many public universities in Texas won’t have faculty senates. That’s because a new Texas law grants university boards the authority to approve or abolish faculty-governance bodies.
Indiana and Utah, meanwhile, have passed bills that declare faculty senates and councils “advisory only” and limit the scope of that role to academic matters. The flurry of legislation signals how Republican politicians have sought to clamp down on faculty senates’ power, arguing they’re full of progressive ideologues spreading “woke agendas” that exert too much control over a university’s operations.
Most undergraduates today are juggling academics with paid work, many logging 40 or more hours a week. That load leaves little margin: more non-academic responsibilities, less time for coursework, and fewer opportunities to engage on campus mean these students often feel the effects of federal policy changes first.
Student advocates say the budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4 threatens to make those challenges worse, reshaping student loans and public benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid in ways that risk cutting off critical financial lifelines.
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