Top Higher Education News for Thursday
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 6, 2025

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The Role of the Embedded Mental Health Counselor

Ashley Mowreader, Voices of Student Success

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Mental health challenges are among the greatest threats to student persistence and retention in higher education, but providing large-scale preventative and responsive mental health care is a looming challenge for colleges and universities.

 

One strategy is embedding mental health counselors into student spaces or academic departments. In this interview, two college wellness officers discuss public health approaches to mental health support on campuses.

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California Tribal College Looks to Become Independent, But Financial Questions Loom

Michael Burke, EdSource

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After operating for the last six years as an affiliate of a nearby community college, California Indian Nations College appears likely to become the state’s only standalone, fully accredited tribal college. It’s something education experts say would be a boon for Native American students who now start and complete college at lower rates than other ethnic groups.

 

But first, money has to be found to ensure the college can survive, let alone expand and build its own campus.

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Student Loan Borrowers Misled by Colleges Were About to Get Relief. Trump Fired People Poised to Help

Sarah Butrymowicz and Meredith Kolodner, The Hechinger Report

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Student loan borrowers who said their lenders overcharged them were just days away from getting help when the Trump administration fired the federal workers set to step in.

 

The individuals without jobs are from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CFPB staffers often work directly with students whose lenders refuse to provide affordable payment plans, pause payments when borrowers struggle with their bills, or discharge loans if a college misled them. Now, the agency is in disarray.

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'I Will Never Change How I Teach': University of Akron Students, Faculty Rally Against SB1

Alisson Toro-Lagos, Akron Beacon Journal

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Around 200 University of Akron students and faculty joined together two days ago to protest a state education bill that they fear will silence their voices. The protest was called "Day of Action Against SB1."

 

The controversial bill has already passed the Ohio Senate and was referred to a House committee last week. Besides taking aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion, SB1 would limit the ability of universities to speak out on controversial topics, require university students to take a civics course, and prohibit professors from going on strike.

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Trump’s Proposal to Dismantle the Education Department Unpopular Among Americans

Sophie Nguyen, Rachel Fishman, and Olivia Sawyer, New America

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The Trump administration has been adamant about downsizing the U.S. Department of Education, with President Trump promising to dismantle it entirely. The new secretary of education, Linda McMahon, indicated during her confirmation hearing that she intends to carry out the president's agenda.

 

However, that proposal is a highly unpopular idea among Americans, according to new polling data.

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Not All Campus Cuts in February Were Driven by Trump

Josh Moody, Inside Higher Ed

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February was a tumultuous month for higher education as President Donald Trump’s agenda began to take shape. His barrage of executive actions threatened federal funding and created uncertainty for colleges, prompting some to freeze hiring and others to pause graduate school admissions.

 

But not all of the cost-cutting changes are tied to Trump—at least not directly. Many of the job and program cuts last month stemmed from falling enrollments and budget issues.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

Five Key Takeaways From the Princeton Review’s 2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey Findings

Christopher Rim, Forbes

Blog: Dean’s Dilemma: How to Use AI to Advance the College

Ray Schroeder, Online: Trending Now

Opinion: Trump Is Coming for the Universities, and They Are Failing to Fight Back

Paul M. Barrett, The Hill

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

In Trump’s First Weeks, Dozens of Colleges Have Shut Down DEI Efforts

Christa Dutton, The Chronicle of Higher Education

NC University’s First Response to DEI Ban? Striking Use of ‘Race,’ ‘Equality,’ ‘White’

Dan Kane, The News & Observer

Meet the Black Trailblazers Making Change and Preserving History in San Diego

Jade Hindmon, KPBS

UCLA Says More Than $1 Billion at Risk If Feds Withhold Funding

Michael Burke, EdSource

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Lumina Foundation’s Ambitious But Attainable Goal for American Postsecondary Education

Michael Nietzel, Washington Monthly

Indiana Likely to Adopt New Nationwide Educational Attainment Goal

Ashley Sloboda, The Journal Gazette

Lumina Releases New Long-Term Goal and Strategic Plan for Higher Education

Lois Elfman, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Lumina Sets New Postsecondary Attainment Goal With Focus on College ROI

Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Here's How Del Mar College Is Eliminating Tuition and Fees for Some Full-Time Students

Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times

What Could Happen If Pell Grant Funds Get Reduced

Sarah Wood, U.S. News & World Report

Mass. Wants Cape Cod Students to Apply for Financial Aid, Go to College

Susan Vaughn, Cape Cod Times

Opinion: The Department of Education Is Under Attack. Student Borrowers Should Protect Themselves

Victoria Jackson, EdTrust

FEDERAL POLICY

'Our Department’s Final Mission'—McMahon Outlines Vision for ED

Maria Carrasco, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

Higher Ed Leaders Talk Preparation for Immigration Officers on Maryland Campuses

Zamone Perez, Public News Service

Trump Stresses Transparency But Releases Little Accurate Data

Jessica Blake, Inside Higher Ed

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

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