Top Higher Education News for Tuesday ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  
Lumina

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.

February 17, 2026

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TOP STORIES

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Proving Higher Education's Promise: We Increased Attainment. Now, to Show Value.

Courtney Brown, Lumina Foundation

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The release of Lumina Foundation's new "Stronger Nation" data offers a snapshot of where the country stands on education after high school. This year’s release feels different, however. The shift is not because Americans have lost faith in education, but rather because they are posing a more critical question.

 

Does it actually deliver value? Lumina's Courtney Brown breaks down the latest "Stronger Nation" report to answer that question—as well as the progress worth building on, gaps that demand attention, and opportunities for states and communities to act.

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The Greening of Career Education: Students Learn New Skills They'll Need as Climate Change Advances

Ariel Gilreath, The Hechinger Report/The Guardian

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Even as President Donald Trump declares climate change a “hoax” and cuts funding to fight it, school systems in both blue and red states are adding classes in fields like clean energy and infusing environmental sustainability lessons in construction, culinary, and other career pathways as part of an effort to prepare students for a workplace altered by climate change.

 

There’s another reason schools are adding sustainability-focused courses, too: More young people, many of whom have lived through severe hurricanes, heat waves, and other extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, are worried about the warming planet and want to find ways to alleviate it.

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Can AI Help Students Navigate the Career Chaos It’s Creating?

Daniel Mollenkamp, EdSurge

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Career counseling is a demanding gig these days, with counselors often forced to make tough choices between giving academic and career advice or addressing students’ emotional crises. To make matters even more challenging, many students seem to lack support systems.

 

Schools, facing a shortage of human resources, are now exploring the use of AI to ease the workloads of counselors. Some educators, however, question the potential loss of the human touch.

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Oklahoma Is 'Phasing Out' Tenure. Will the Idea Catch On?

Megan Zahneis, The Chronicle of Higher Education

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Alexandra Doyle was scrolling through social media at a restaurant last week when she saw the news: The governor of Oklahoma had signed an executive order to “phase out tenure” at most of the state’s public institutions—including Northeastern State University, where Doyle is an assistant professor.

 

Doyle is still a few years from going up for tenure, but now she's not so sure. The language in the order by Gov. Kevin Stitt is unclear: Can professors on the tenure track, like Doyle, still pursue the dream they’ve spent decades chasing?

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More Than Half of College Students Are Lonely—and Social Media Is Making It Worse

Chera Watson, The EDU Ledger

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More than half of American college students are experiencing loneliness, and those who spend the most time on social media are particularly vulnerable to feeling isolated, according to a sweeping new study of nearly 65,000 young adults.

 

The findings, published in the Journal of American College Health, reveal that spending as little as 16 hours a week on social media—roughly two hours a day—is associated with significantly higher odds of loneliness among students aged 18 to 24.

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Young Adults Fight for Future as Colorado Faces Tight Budget

Jenny Brundin, CPR News

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Kiana Chapman dreams of becoming a doctor and knows it will be tough. But it isn't just about the grueling hours of a pre-med curriculum at Metropolitan State University of Denver. It’s about the constant worry over financial pressures. She credits her scholarship as the reason she's in school today.

 

But with Colorado facing an $850 million budget deficit, college advocates worry the programs students rely on most, including scholarships and campus-based supports that help learners stay enrolled, could face cuts.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

As Students Turn to ChatGPT for College Searches, AI Visibility Becomes Priority

Johanna Alonso, Inside Higher Ed

Strengthening the Workforce Pipeline

Matthew Dembicki, Community College Daily

Commentary: The Crisis in Higher Education Leadership: Why Stewardship Must Triumph Over Disruption

Figen Mekik, News From the States

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

How a Simple Nudge Could Improve Racial Equity in Academic Promotion

Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes

Merger of Cultural, Resource Centers at UW-Milwaukee Leaves Some Students, Faculty Concerned

Steph Conquest-Ware, Wisconsin Public Radio

Trump's Education Dept. Probes Louisiana Plan to Boost Minority College Completion Numbers

Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator

Opinion: Pathways for Future Scientists Are Becoming Scarce, Threatening a Strong and Innovative Workforce

JP Flores, The Hechinger Report

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Maine Community Colleges Optimistic About Tuition-Free Future After Cost Cuts, Surging Support

Eesha Pendharkar, Maine Morning Star

Parents With Student Loans Have a Short Window to Secure Affordable Repayment and Forgiveness

Annie Nova, CNBC

Opinion: Time to Confront the Broader Costs That Students Face

Bennie L. Harris, Anderson Independent Mail

Blog: New Student Loan Repayment Plan Won’t Save Borrowers

Michele Zampini, The Institute for College Access & Success

STATE POLICY

Lawmakers Retreat From VMI Oversight Transfer, Advance Board Overhaul

Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

Analysis: No Education Program Is Safe This Year, and That Could Affect Students and Parents

Kevin Richert, Idaho Education News

Enlisting ROI to Better Align Academic Credentials and Workforce Needs

Morgan Osburn, National Conference of State Legislatures

Commentary: I Grew Up In an Education Desert But Made It to UCSC—Rural California Needs Funding So Students Can Thrive

Ava Thornock, Lookout Santa Cruz

STUDENT SUPPORTS

Cuts to Childcare Grants Leave Rural Students in Limbo

Madeline de Figueiredo, The Daily Yonder

Opinion: Emergency Aid for College Students Yields Big Returns

Braulio Colón, Tallahassee Democrat

luminafoundation.org
Daily Lumina News is edited by Patricia Brennan.

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