Daily Lumina News 120721

Julia Ramirez has felt invisible most of her college career. As a student-parent at California State University Monterey Bay, her time in higher education has been trying—and lonely. Until now.
A new initiative is transforming the campus into an emerging safe space for students with children, providing kid-friendly study rooms, lactation stations, on-campus support group opportunities, and more.

When Rebecca Hui Zhang lost her job of six years at a travel agency, she decided to enroll at Spartanburg Community College as a first-time college student at age 34.
Zhang is far from alone. Enrollment swelled at the institution this fall as students took advantage of a free tuition initiative. It is in stark contrast to ongoing enrollment declines at community colleges across the country.

Jose Eduardo Mundo Tapia always knew he wanted to go to college after arriving in California as a young child from his native San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico. But Mundo Tapia, now 24, underestimated how challenging that journey would be.
While more Latino students are now applying, attending, and graduating from college, many like Mundo Tapia still face significant barriers to success. Additional financial support, streamlined transfer pathways, and mentoring can help.

Community colleges are stepping up to offer Americans paths to careers, but the route from college to job isn’t always clear.
That's why Lumina Foundation and several organizations are joining forces to fund 20 community colleges and their work to increase the enrollment of adult students—particularly Black, Latino, and Native American students—in quality academic and training programs.