Top Higher Education News for Thursday
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Lumina Foundation is committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.

February 13, 2025

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Ahead of Confirmation Hearing, Senators Back McMahon

Jessica Blake, Inside Higher Ed

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Linda McMahon—a former wrestling mogul and longtime ally of the president—is expected to experience a smoother confirmation hearing today than some of Donald Trump’s other cabinet members have so far.

 

But after a turbulent three weeks, senators from both sides of the aisle say they still have questions for the education secretary nominee, and the hearing will likely be dominated by reports that the president is finalizing an executive order to shutter the U.S. Department of Education.

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Clinging to Control

Christa Dutton and Jasper Smith, The Chronicle of Higher Education

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Long before Donald Trump took office, some colleges and universities were taking steps to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion programs even though it wasn’t required.

 

Those actions are sparking concern among many academics, students, and education advocates. They believe institutions are kowtowing to conservative threats, rashly dismantling programs that have taken years to build, and harming students and staff.

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State Education Leaders Promote Free College and Influx of State Aid to Mass. High Schoolers

Chinanu Okoli, WBUR

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Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler returned to his old stomping grounds last week as he rolled out the state's latest initiative to help college seekers apply for financial aid. The former superintendent of Lynn Public Schools met with two dozen juniors at Lynn Classical High School to help demystify the financial aid process as they prepare to start their college applications.

 

Tutwiler is part of a statewide effort to encourage more students to apply for—and enter—higher education. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form is a first step toward that goal, officials say.

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Inmates in This Texas Program Are Leaving Prison With Jobs—and Lower Chances of Reincarceration

Pooja Salhotra, The Texas Tribune

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When Amanda Morgan walked out of state prison for the third time in her life, she felt equipped to never return.

 

Morgan's confidence stems from her participation in an effort called STRIVE, a highly selective, 12-week reentry program the Texas Department of Criminal Justice launched in 2019 to help women incarcerated at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit (formerly called the Mountain View Unit) address emotional trauma, learn professional skills, and land a job prior to their release.

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The Community College Creating a Home Base for Transition-Age Foster Students

Betty Márquez Rosales, EdSource

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Sky Celine Page was not so sure about higher education. Nearly three years ago, she found herself couch surfing after leaving a foster home. Without a consistent place to sleep, she had to postpone her college studies.

 

A collaboration between Pasadena City College, Pasadena Community Foundation, and First Place for Youth is working to change that trajectory by providing housing to transition-age foster youth like Page, 20, who now lives in one of the units.

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Q&A: Martin University President Says Its Future ‘Is as Bright as It Always Has Been’

Claire Rafford, Mirror Indy

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The president of Martin University has high hopes for the future. Sean Huddleston says the Indianapolis-based school is filling a unique gap for the city—a place for older students to get a degree fast with institutional support through resources such as the school’s free childcare and pre-K services.

 

In this interview, Huddleston shares his thoughts about what lies ahead for Indiana's only predominantly Black college—including his response to Martin University being excluded from Gov. Mike Braun’s 2025 budget proposal. 

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

The Revamped Carnegie Rankings Are Out. See Which Colleges Entered the New ‘Research’ Category.

Brian O’Leary and Francie Diep, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Are There ‘Stealth Majors’ That Can Fuel Later Career Success?

Michael James, WorkingNation

Study Shows Indiana Working Adults Want More Education, Employable Skills

Terri Dee, Indiana News Service

High School Graduates Lament: 'We Can’t Do Anything'

Scott White, Forbes

Views: Higher Education Doesn’t Need Resilience. It Needs Reinvention

Yolanda Watson Spiva, University Business

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

The Latest Roundup of DEI Cuts Across the Country

Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

Student Success in STEM

Denise Whisenhunt and Lennor Johnson, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Ivy Tech ‘Sunsets’ Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging Following Federal and State Executive Orders

Marin Murphy, WANE

Opinion: Texas Colleges Rolled Over for Anti-DEI Bill. Now They Face a Broader Attack.

Marisol Cortez, Truthout

STUDENT SUPPORT

CUNY Revamps Transfer Process to Reduce Credit Loss for Students

Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

Chicago Public Schools Fair Aims to Prepare Students With Disabilities for Life After High School

Reema Amin, Chalkbeat Chicago

STATE POLICY

How Can Schools Advise Students When They Don’t Know How Their Grads Are Doing?

Karla Robles and Andy Schmitz, The 74

State Higher Education Investments Offer Strong Economic Returns

Aaron Thompson, Kentucky Lantern

More Than 800 People Submit Testimony Against Ohio’s Massive Higher Education Overhaul Bill

Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal

With Federal Money at Risk, Minnesota’s Public Colleges Stress High Stakes of State Budget Debate

Peter Cox, MPR News

Opinion: Utah Legislators’ Lives Demonstrate the Impact of Public Investment in Education

Christy Glass, Jess Lucero, and Tammy Proctor, Deseret News

PRISON EDUCATION

From Corrections to the Workforce

The Herald-Star

Viewpoint: Put Higher Ed in Prisons

James T. Brett and Michael Thomas, Worcester Business Journal

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Daily Lumina News is edited by Patricia Brennan.

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