Top Higher Education News for Wednesday ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­    ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  
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.

March 4, 2026

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TOP STORIES

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Scott Cheney: Making Sense of the Credential Landscape

Julian Alssid and Kaitlin LeMoine, Work Forces

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Today's credential landscape is vast—over 1.85 million unique credentials from more than 134,000 providers. There are traditional degrees, certificates, badges, licenses, apprenticeships, and industry certifications. But this abundance also presents challenges as learners and employers alike struggle to understand what different credentials actually represent in terms of skills and competencies.

 

In this interview, Scott Cheney of Credential Engine provides a deep dive into the world of credentials, the complexities of a skills-based economy, and the critical need for common standards and transparency in education and employment data.

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Mentors Can Make the Difference for Young Black Men in College. Here's How to Be a Good One.

Lisa Kurian Philip, WBEZ Chicago

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Black boys and men have to scale high walls to get into college and complete their degree. They are more likely than their peers to juggle caring for elders or younger siblings with classes. They’re often the first in their family to pursue higher education and frequently come up against the perception that they are not “college material.” And, across the country, they are the least likely student group to finish a degree within six years.

 

Mentors, especially those who are Black and male-identifying, can help students with challenges like juggling work and class and finding community on campus.

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College Students, Professors Are Making Their Own AI Rules. They Don't Always Agree

Lee V. Gaines, NPR

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For English professor Dan Cryer, using generative artificial intelligence to write a college essay is like bringing a forklift to the gym. Many students, too, have mixed feelings about the technology, saying it helps them sometimes but also makes them think less deeply.

 

That sentiment is apparently gaining momentum. Three years after ChatGPT's launch, AI is now part of daily life—and students and teachers are still figuring out how to use it.

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Court Dismisses SAVE Lawsuit—But Uncertainty Remains for Borrowers

Autumn A. Arnett, The EDU Ledger

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A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Biden-era Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) student loan repayment plan, declining to rule on whether the program itself is lawful.

 

But the ruling isn't a definitive victory for borrowers who had previously enrolled in the program. Rather than issuing a decision on the merits, the court dismissed the case as moot. This implies that the legal status of SAVE remains unresolved, leaving borrowers to navigate a complex and uncertain landscape.

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How Three College Administrators Are Tackling Higher Education Disruption

Natalie Schwartz, Higher Ed Dive

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The major challenges confronting college leaders show no signs of relenting over the next few years. They must tackle tightening student visa policies, the growing adoption of artificial intelligence, and potential declines in traditional-aged college students.

 

College leaders shared how they’re addressing those issues and more during the American Council on Education’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. While their tactics vary, they’re all bracing for major change.

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Pitt Shared a Border Patrol Recruitment Event. Here's How Colleges Are Responding to the Immigration Crackdown.

Maddy Franklin, Public Source

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In late February, protestors rallied against Immigration and Customs Enforcement around Pittsburgh and demanded a stronger response from the University of Pittsburgh after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection recruitment event appeared on Pitt’s Career Central event calendar.

 

Federal immigration agencies are recruiting at colleges nationwide, raising concerns about school policies related to their presence. Here’s what Pitt and other local institutions are saying and doing.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

Expanding Credit for Prior Learning

Tabitha Whissemore, Community College Daily

Michigan State Senior Who Explored Academe's Quirkier Side Wins David W. Miller Award for Young Journalists

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Three Questions for Katie Shaver, Managing Director at EAB

Joshua Kim, Learning Innovation

Leaders Say AI skills Now Are as Fundamental as the Ability to Write

Ginger Christ, HR Dive

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

Iowa House Passes Bill Threatening Tuition Grant Funding Over DEI Offices

Alyssa Brown, The EDU Ledger

Building Capacity, Advancing Equity

Mike Muñoz, Medium

COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS

College and University Leaders Say Enrollment, Attendance Suffered Due to Operation Metro Surge

Erin Adler, The Minnesota Star Tribune

Few Men on Campus. NC College Gender Gap Longstanding and Growing

Kate Denning, Carolina Public Press

UC Berkeley to Terminate Freshman Enrollment Program, Threatening Mass Lecturer Layoffs

Aarya Mukherjee, The Daily Californian

More IPS Graduates Are Attending College; Here's the Program That's Helping

Nico Pennisi, WRTV

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Don't Rush Students Into Debt Before New Loan Limits Hit

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, New America

A New Approach to Financial Aid Ties Scholarships to Graduation

Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes

Why Some Massachusetts Colleges Are Racing to Offer Bachelor's Degrees in Just Three Years

Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive

Free Aviation Mechanic Training Coming to Jackson County Students

Chloe Miller, MLive

NEW REPORTS AND EVENTS

Webinar: Making Child Care Work for Student Parents

New America

Ten Lessons We Learned About
the Current Era of AI Adoption
in Higher Education

T3 Advisory

Removing Barriers, Building Futures: Data-Informed Policies to Support College Students Experiencing Homelessness

SchoolHouse Connection and Trellis Strategies

The Economic Value of
New Jersey's Community Colleges

New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Lightcast

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

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