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.
Public trust in higher education has reached historic lows. Approximately one-third of Americans now say they have confidence in colleges and universities—down from more than 60 percent less than a decade ago.
In this interview, Lumina Foundation's Courtney Brown examines what’s driving the erosion of trust and what institutions must do to regain credibility, relevance, and workforce alignment. Brown also shares findings from a Lumina and Gallup survey about public attitudes toward value, cost, and workforce relevance. Finally, she outlines Lumina’s new 2040 goal: 75 percent of working-age adults holding a degree or credential that leads to economic mobility.
Recent research shows that personal well-being is one of the greatest threats to persistence among today's college students.
In response to this growing need for support, more colleges and universities are investing in prevention efforts that bolster their campus wellness spaces and services and, in turn, retention and graduation. Several programs focus on students’ self-regulation through meditation and reflection; others offer tools and resources that can help students manage physical and socio-emotional health.
About 500 education leaders, researchers, funders, and student success advocates came together this month in Washington, D.C., to celebrate degree and credential attainment progress—and to discuss strategies that support today's learners and build systems reflecting their realities.
The event included a timely conversation between Margaret Spellings, eighth U.S. Secretary of Education and current president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Jamie Merisotis, CEO of Lumina Foundation. The pair offered insights about the evolution of public discourse on the value of higher education and where it must go next.
Despite President Trump's threats, Harvard University is standing its ground against the administration's demands. Within days, Trump has cut more than $2 billion in federal funding for the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status.
But what does the clash between Harvard and the Trump administration look like from the perspective of its faculty? Harvard Law School professor Nikolas Bowie weighs in.
College leaders understand the value of a completed financial aid application, but they often face hurdles helping students navigate the slog of paperwork.
Holyoke Community College, in Massachusetts, encountered this issue two years ago when 47 percent of attendees at the college’s new-student orientation had not completed their FAFSA. Dozens of other students were missing crucial paperwork. The implementation of an early alert system is now successfully addressing both challenges.
President Donald Trump continues to grab headlines for his provocative moves to eliminate specific aspects of higher education, including trying to shut down the U.S. Department of Education and cutting funding to universities over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Amid these recent executive actions and the rumblings of those to come, Congress has a critical role to play in shaping policies that support students, drive innovation across institutions, and ensure that higher education remains a lever for economic and social mobility, writes Yolanda Watson Spiva of Complete College America in this perspective piece.
