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.
Many students who enroll in short-term workforce programs aren’t new to college. Some have made multiple attempts, but cost, competing responsibilities, academic challenges, or life circumstances interrupted their paths. Now, they’re coming back for a second opportunity.
As states expand investments in these programs and as Workforce Pell reshapes the national policy landscape, understanding who these learners are, what motivates them, and what they need to succeed is no longer optional, write three higher education experts in this perspective piece.
Student activism has been a source of friction on U.S. campuses since at least the Vietnam War, though the rich history of such protests dates back centuries. In the 1700s, students protested over rancid butter in the dining hall at Harvard University and onerous religious rules at Yale University.
Today, following disruptive protests in spring 2024, the federal government, state lawmakers, and college officials imposed sweeping restrictions on student speech, resulting in a wave of arrests and expulsions. As student activists turn their attention to new causes, what can they expect for the future of campus speech?
Drexel University President Antonio Merlo isn’t just a first-generation college student. The Italian native’s parents didn’t go to high school either.
When Merlo joined Drexel in July, becoming its 16th president, he took over a university in transition and has since become perhaps its most enthusiastic cheerleader. Founded by a philanthropy-minded financier in 1891, the private Philadelphia institution today has roughly 21,000 students and is undergoing what it calls an “academic transformation.” That includes building core competencies into its entire curriculum and moving from a quarter-based academic calendar to the much more common semester model.
As immigration enforcement activity increases near campus, students at Rutgers University are demanding “sanctuary campus” protections, putting them at odds with administrators bound by state law.
The push comes after students in the area have seen a growing presence of federal agents detaining individuals mere feet from the state university campus.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is at the center of a red-state rebellion against the organizations that oversee the nation’s colleges—and he’s getting a boost from President Donald Trump.
Despite being occasional rivals, DeSantis and Trump have both slammed college accreditors and accused them of being education “cartels” that force colleges to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The governor’s project, which is getting $1 million from the U.S. Department of Education, is trying to establish an accreditor more aligned with conservative values—and he’s got a few takers.
Nineteen hours after leaving Coachella Valley, Oscar Deleon Jr. stepped off a bus with four bags of clothes, $800, admission to Chico State University, and no idea where he was going to live or work.
The Rapid Rehousing program at Chico State ultimately became his salvation. Since the program's launch in 2020, the effort has helped more than 9,000 students facing housing insecurity or homelessness. By partnering with local community-based organizations, Rapid Rehousing provides students with emergency housing, rental subsidies, case management, and advice.
