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.
Choosing a college major has always felt like a big life decision, influenced by not only personal inclinations and talents but also by starting salaries—new engineering and computer science grads earn more than those with English degrees.
But in today’s labor market, where hiring has slowed, artificial intelligence is reshaping some industries faster than others, and many once-booming job categories have cooled off, young people should be asking themselves an additional question: How many career paths can I take with my degree?
As concerns about college affordability and student debt continue to rattle higher education, institutions are increasingly exploring accelerated degree pathways that allow students to reach their career goals more quickly and at a lower cost.
Last week, two Historically Black Colleges and Universities—Grambling State University and Southern University Law Center—announced a new 3+3 Accelerated Law Program that will allow eligible students to earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years, rather than the traditional seven. University leaders say the effort is designed to reduce barriers to legal education by providing structured advising, early exposure to the legal profession, and a guaranteed admissions pathway for students who meet program requirements.
Students and families should not have to guess what a college degree requires or what it delivers. They should see how the program is structured, where support is available, and what the institution does when students are not progressing, writes Jamie Jamison, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Morris Brown College, in this op-ed on the value of higher education.
According to Jamison, the case for the degree cannot be made only in a brochure or an accreditation file. It must be visible in the education itself.
Jennifer Brooks, a history professor at Auburn University, had barely unpacked from a trip out of town earlier this month when the messages started blowing up her phone. Texts from colleagues and rumors on social media delivered the unsettling news: The Auburn Board of Trustees had voted to dissolve the school’s faculty senate and give itself ultimate authority over academic decisions, including curriculum.
Alabama isn’t alone. Since last year, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah have enacted similar laws that give greater power to politically appointed boards and administrators while weakening tenure protections and faculty control over curriculum and university leadership.
Florida’s educational officials are preparing to approve policies that would bar undocumented students from attending public colleges and universities. The cost? Millions in lost tuition — and much more in long-term economic and social losses, experts and advocacy organizations say.
While Florida wouldn’t be the first to take this step, limiting college access there would be especially disruptive given that the state has a large population of undocumented high school students—roughly 8,000—graduating each year.
A federal judge has halted part of a Trump administration rule that would have sharply limited federal student loans for nursing students and those pursuing certain other professional degrees in ways that critics said would cause shortages in those fields.
The preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell stems from a lawsuit filed in May by eight trade organizations, including the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the PA Education Association, over borrowing caps set to take effect this week.
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