Top Higher Education News for Friday
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.

November 21, 2025

Subscribe to this email

TOP STORIES

download - 2025-11-21T054407.921

Advocates Say 2025 Brought 'Trepidation' for Student Voters

Johanna Alonso, Inside Higher Ed

SHARE:  Facebook • LinkedIn

Despite the lack of major elections in 2025, campus voter outreach organizations remained dedicated to engaging students in the electoral process and, in certain instances, educating them about local races.

 

However, some student voting advocates say that an increasingly fraught political environment and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion have made campus outreach challenging this year. This is especially true for underrepresented students, who say they are wary of engaging with organizations that promote campus voting.

download - 2025-11-20T101911.753

Using AI Without (Really) Cheating

Jack Stripling, College Matters

SHARE:  Facebook • LinkedIn

Nearly three years after ChatGPT first came on the scene, college students are using generative AI to help with countless tasks. Outlining and brainstorming are a breeze. A chatbot can likely provide a succinct explanation of a complex concept that a professor might skim over during a lecture. College campuses across the country are using this kind of AI, and much of it wouldn't be considered unethical.

 

However, the line between efficiency and academic dishonesty is blurry, and some experts are concerned that an AI-infused education could essentially rewire students’ brains.

istockphoto-1359164204-612x612

New Report Shows How Governing Boards Can Drive Student Success at Public Institutions

Jamal Watson, The EDU Ledger

SHARE:  Facebook • LinkedIn

A new study examining four public colleges and universities reveals how governing boards can move beyond traditional oversight to actively advance student success, particularly for underrepresented populations.

 

The study, from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, arrives as higher education faces intensifying scrutiny over college costs and degree value. With questions about return on investment dominating public discourse, the report suggests that governing boards can play a pivotal role in ensuring institutions remain focused on their core mission of student achievement.

istockphoto-1269075734-612x612

Delgado Community College Has Been Trying to Woo Younger Students. It's Working.

Marie Fazio, NOLA

SHARE:  Facebook • LinkedIn

When Kenroy Mejia was a senior at Bonnabel High School in Metairie last year, the honor-roll student had his choice of universities across the state. But he settled on Delgado Community College, where he could save a lot of money on tuition and expenses and then transfer to a four-year university with college credits and work experience under his belt.

 

Delgado administrators hope more students like Mejia will come to a similar conclusion. That's why the Louisiana school and other community colleges are revisiting their recruiting efforts to target younger students straight from high school. So far, the strategy is paying off.

download - 2025-11-20T105113.344

College Radio Keeps Its Cool

Nathan Deuel, The New York Times

SHARE:  Facebook • LinkedIn

Against the odds, campus broadcasts remain a space of discovery for students and listeners alike. That’s especially true at KXLU at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

 

In an era of polish, perfection, and increasing corporate consolidation, these student stations can feature seconds or even minutes of “dead air.” But when it’s working, between each set of unusual and handpicked songs, an actual human being with knowledge and heart will explain why they care—and why you should, too. The results can be deep, surprising, incredibly human, and wildly satisfying.

istockphoto-186653928-612x612 (1)

First Look at 2026-27 State Budget: Schools and Community Colleges Are Fine—for the Moment

John Fensterwald, EdSource

SHARE:  Facebook • LinkedIn

Surging tax revenue from Silicon Valley’s big bet on artificial intelligence will produce greater-than-expected funding for schools and community colleges in California in the short run. But how long will the AI investment boom last?

 

The Legislative Analyst's Office poses this billion-dollar question in its forecast of the 2026-27 state budget, which it released this week. Its answer: Caution—it probably won’t last for long.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

Anxiety and Exhaustion Stalk Those Spared From Layoffs

Adrienne Lu, The Chronicle of Higher Education

A Call for More Collaboration in the Transfer Ecosystem

Seth Kamen, Beyond Transfer

ROI Starts on Day One

Sara Custer, Inside Higher Ed

Why Biology Holds the Key to Improving Learning

Marsha Huber, The Edge

STUDENT SUPPORT

No Student Should Have to Choose Between Food and Their Future

Maria DeLorenzo, Kresge Foundation

How Sacramento State Is Mobilizing to Address College Student Hunger

Cathie Anderson, The Sacramento Bee

COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS

Dartmouth College Aims to Boost Veteran Undergraduate Enrollment

Liz Sauchelli, New Hampshire Public Radio

Texas Tech Chancellor Creighton Talks About Future of Academics, Research and Enrollment

Mateo Rosiles, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

More California Students Are Attending College Elsewhere

Charlie Wigul and Hans Johnson, Public Policy Institute of California

Chasing Credits: Colleges Say Dual Enrollment Is on the Rise in Nebraska Schools

Jolie Peal, Nebraska Public Media

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

UC Continues Annual Tuition Hikes Despite Student Appeals. Here’s How Much It Will Increase

Mikhail Zinshteyn, CalMatters

College Costs Have Risen Dramatically in the Last 20 Years. Here's Why

Elissa Nadworny and Leila Fadel, NPR

New Report Maps the Uneven Geography of College Affordability

INSIGHT Into Academia

The Future of College: Harnessing Innovation to Improve Outcomes and Lower Costs

The Education Trust

NEW REPORTS AND EVENTS

Roundtable: Degrees of Value: How Changing Attitudes Toward College Challenge Higher Education in California

EdSource

Scaling Holistic Supports for Community College Students: Early Findings From an Impact Evaluation of One Million Degrees Campuswide

University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab

After Reconciliation: State Policies to
Address Hunger, Health and Higher
Education in Georgia

The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute 

State Policy Agenda to Support the Adoption and Scaling of Evidence-Based Student Success Practices: Affordability Policy

HCM Strategists

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

Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn