Lumina Foundation is committed to increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.
Florida state lawmakers have eliminated in-state tuition for undocumented students, reversing a decade-old law that once enjoyed bipartisan support. Previously, undocumented students in Florida could apply for waivers to pay in-state tuition rates if they went to high school in the state for at least three consecutive years and enrolled in college within two years of graduating.
Policy advocates now worry other states will follow Florida’s lead and end price reliefs for students who can’t access federal financial aid.
In a Feb. 14 "Dear Colleague" letter, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights gave schools and postsecondary institutions that receive federal funding two weeks to eliminate race-based programs or risk losing that funding.
Many experts believe the idea of defunding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs could have a chilling effect on student behavior, silencing their voices and denying them access to the education they aspire to.
Rural colleges and universities, once pillars of opportunity for remote communities, are increasingly shedding academic programs and, in some cases, closing their doors altogether.
For students, the consequences are significant. When majors are eliminated, they may struggle to find adequate course offerings to complete their degrees. Others are forced to transfer, often to institutions farther from home and potentially more expensive. These obstacles disproportionately affect low-income and first-generation college students, who are more likely to attend rural and regional universities.
Nearly a decade ago, Louisiana launched a novel experiment to increase college access by requiring its public high school seniors to either apply for financial aid or expressly opt out. Today, 44 percent of public high school seniors are enrolled in a state with a similar policy, intended to increase the number of students who access financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
States often deploy new policies in the hopes of changing student outcomes. Such change is usually slow, but not so with FAFSA mandates: Most of the states enacting mandatory FAFSA policies see immediate impact, says this report.
Having successful career outcomes is important for colleges and learners alike, but getting students to engage in career services can feel like an uphill battle.
Leaders at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania are trying a different approach: They bring careers to students with an event called LVC Success Expo. During this day, LVC cancels classes so students can engage in an all-day career fair or meet with academic support staff to ensure their success in and after college.
The first several weeks of the second Trump White House have given higher education a severe case of vertigo, with executive orders and policy announcements coming at a breathtaking pace.
Whether or not Trump ultimately succeeds, for many people the damage is done. Eleven of them share how their work and lives have been affected so far.
