The Great Admissions Redesign
Lumina Foundation is seeking to work with states, higher education systems, and groups of colleges and universities ready to transform how potential students apply, enroll, and access their institutions.
Featured Resources
Some highlights of Lumina's work
We're sharing tools and takeaways from our efforts to create a better-educated nation.
A Stronger Nation
We're tracking America's progress toward the nation's 60% attainment goal.
Community College Challenge
The Million Dollar Community College Challenge team is shining a spotlight on the great work of community colleges around the country.
REACH Collaborative
We're supporting community colleges in six states to create short-term credential-to-degree pathways for adults who are Black, Latino, Hispanic, and Native American.
Changing the Narrative on Student Borrowers of Color
A collection of essays from student loan experts sets the record straight on borrowing among students of color.
Community Grants
Our community grants portfolio supports local organizations in our hometown of Indianapolis and around central Indiana.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Hear stories about how HBCU's help students thrive.
Tuition Reimbursement
Meet a few of the workers and employers participating in tuition reimbursement programs.
Lumina Impact Ventures
Lumina Impact Ventures is the Foundation's impact investing arm partnering with mission-aligned social enterprises.
Local Talent Handbook
A guide for local leaders to build talent pool in their communities.
I Want That Job!
A series from WorkingNation on promising career paths for early career workers
History of Federal Student Aid
A film series documenting the policy and the political origins of federal financial aid programs
Beyond Financial Aid
How colleges can strengthen students’ financial stability, leading to higher completion rates
State Strategy Labs
Lumina supports state leaders’ efforts to increase education levels by offering nonpartisan research, data, peer advice, and technical support.
Degree Qualification Profile
A learning-centered framework for what college graduates should know and be able to do to earn the associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Today’s Students Deserve Their Fair (Data) Share
March 22, 2024
Why do so many of today’s learners who are eligible for public benefits miss out on the assistance they need? A new report from Higher Learning Advocates explains why and what can be done to change this reality.
Continuing to Explore the Exodus From Higher Education: Year Two
March 12, 2024
Today’s students and families want assurance that their time and money in higher education will lead to a better future. In particular, they want to know why the value of a two-year or four-year degree outweighs the value of credentials and job training programs. This report from HCM Strategists and EDGE Research contains new insights […]
The Case for Dual Enrollment
Feb. 20, 2024
Florida’s dual enrollment system is a beacon of opportunity amid declining national community college enrollments. While the state has made significant strides in enhancing educational access and equity, critical challenges threaten its potential. Financial complexities, inconsistent policy implementation, and limited public awareness hinder further expansion and student success.
National Rural College Completion Trends, Challenges, and Solutions
Dec. 18, 2023
Nearly 20 percent of the total U.S. population lives in rural America, yet the experiences of rural communities are often left out of many research and policy conversations. Higher education is no exception.
DEEP Insights: Redesigning Dual Enrollment as a Purposeful Pathway to College and Career Opportunity
Oct. 23, 2023
Dual enrollment equity pathways (DEEP) is a research-based framework for rethinking dual enrollment as a more equitable on-ramp to college programs of study that lead to family-supporting, career-path jobs for students who might not otherwise pursue education after college.
Reimagining Online Education in California: A Roadmap for Advancing Access and Quality
Oct. 15, 2023
Enrollment in online courses and programs has steadily increased over the past 15 years, and in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed widespread use of remote courses and services. This shift prompted higher education faculty, staff, administrators, and students to reflect on online education’s role in improving access to courses, programs, and services, while balancing…
Strategies for Workforce Success in Career and Technical Education
Aug. 31, 2023
Many students in postsecondary education programs face challenges navigating pathways to good jobs. In particular, students who face barriers to success need accessible pathways to economic mobility. These students stand to benefit from strategies at all levels of education (and after they enter the workforce) that support their career goals.
Time-Based, Competency-Based, or Hybrid Programs?
Aug. 1, 2023
Registered apprenticeship programs result in positive outcomes for employers and apprentices. Traditionally used as a training model in the building trades, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) aims to expand registered apprenticeship as a workforce training model, including to nontraditional industries such as health care and information technology. Although registered apprenticeship programs share key elements,…
Hard Work Is Not Enough
July 20, 2023
All working people—regardless of race, class, or gender—want jobs that allow them to support their families and live with dignity. But far too often, employers do not provide the wages, hours, or benefits that people need to achieve economic security and stability.
Wisconsin’s Well-Structured Youth Apprenticeship Program
July 10, 2023
Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program is the oldest and largest ongoing youth apprenticeship (YA) program in the United States. In the 2022–23 school year, 5,740 employers provided apprenticeships to 8,358 students, up from 1,600 employers and 2,292 apprentices in 2013–2014.
Question the Quo
June 22, 2023
Today’s high schoolers believe in education after high school but are interested in pathways that take less time to complete than a four-year degree. They also fully expect to be lifelong learners and receive upskilling and reskilling throughout their lives.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning
May 22, 2023
Today, many priorities for improvements to teaching and learning are unmet. Educators seek technology-enhanced approaches addressing these priorities that would be safe, effective, and scalable. Naturally, educators wonder if the rapid advances in technology in everyday lives could help.
Worlds Apart: The Non-College Economy
May 19, 2023
There are two Americas today: one for the college educated, and one for those without four-year degrees. Workers in these economies are worlds apart—the type of work they do, how they receive their pay, when they start their workday, and the benefits they get from employment are night and day.
The Class of 2023 Prepares for a Future of Work, Disrupted
May 1, 2023
The Class of 2023 is entering the workforce during a period of rapid change. The economy is uncertain, attitudes toward remote and hybrid work are ever-evolving, and new AI technology could completely reshape how work is done.
What Works: Ten Education, Training, and Work-Based Pathway Changes That Lead to Good Jobs
April 28, 2023
A report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce identifies 10 pathway changes involving education, training, and work experience with the greatest potential to improve employment outcomes for young adults.
What Policymakers Need To Know About Today’s Working Class
April 6, 2023
Today’s working class is far different than the working class of more than half a century ago, at the height of American manufacturing’s importance in the labor market. Yet, widespread misconceptions persist about the people without a four-year college degree who make up the American working class. Throughout the 2016 and 2020 election cycles, the…
A Roadmap for Immigration Reform
March 28, 2023
The last time the U.S. enacted major immigration reform was the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986. Since then, little has been done to fix what has become a broken system despite heated debate at the national, state, and local levels.
Five Charts to Understand Black Registered Apprentices in the United States
March 16, 2023
Apprenticeship has gained a renewed reputation as a promising training strategy.
Using Universal Design for Learning for Inclusive Apprenticeships
Jan. 26, 2023
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a way of organizing learning environments to accommodate people with a wide array of learning preferences, needs, and ways of expressing and receiving information and demonstrating competency.
Designing Career and Technical Education Programs That Help Students Get Good Jobs
Dec. 22, 2022
Education and training beyond the high school level is often seen as an essential component on the path to a good job. Evidence suggests higher levels of education are broadly associated with higher earnings, but a student’s return on their investment varies widely depending on program choice, the local labor market, structural barriers faced by…