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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.

July 14, 2025

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The Changing Demographics of Admitted Students

Johanna Alonso, Inside Higher Ed

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In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to ban affirmative action in college admissions, no one knew exactly what the impact on Black and Hispanic enrollment might be going forward. In fall 2024, the numbers varied substantially by institution; an analysis of 31 institutions’ enrollment data showed massive drops in Black and Hispanic enrollment at some institutions and less drastic decreases—and even slight increases—at others.

 

But enrollment figures only tell part of the story. A new report explains more.

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Campus Culture Eats Innovation Strategy for Breakfast

Sara Custer, The Key

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"Innovation" is a term that encompasses both broad and specific meanings. It is even more challenging to define "culture." But Maricel Lawrence of Purdue Global and Kevin Yee, special assistant to the provost for artificial intelligence and director of the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Central Florida, are working hard to foster both.

 

In this interview, Lawrence and Yee discuss how bottom-up leadership, empowering people to try new things, and universal design thinking are helping to create a campus culture where innovation thrives.

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Higher-Ed Associations Pitch an Alternative to Trump’s Cap on Research Funding

Megan Zahneis, The Chronicle of Higher Education

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A coalition of 10 heavyweight higher-education organizations is proposing to Congress an alternative to the research-spending cap the Trump administration has been seeking to impose.

 

The new model would overhaul the federal system of reimbursing universities for indirect costs incurred for their research, which has been in place since World War II. According to coalition leaders, the plan represents a radical restructuring of the nation’s research-funding ecosystem, but one that is necessary given mounting political pressure.

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Parents and Graduate Students Have New Loan Limits. Who Will Fill the Gap?

Ron Lieber, The New York Times

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The road map for families paying for higher education used to read something like this: Step one, save if you can. Step two, apply for aid and hope the schools will help. Step three, borrow money from the federal government, up to the total cost of attending, if you’re sure that is prudent and can’t pay the cost out of current income.

 

Now, step three is changing, courtesy of President Donald Trump’s domestic policy bill. Starting July 1, 2026, the federal government will add new limits to what many people can borrow for college and graduate school.

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Why Colleges Should Get Involved in Child Care Advocacy

Stephanie Baker, New America

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Colleges that stay on the sidelines of the child care crisis risk solutions being developed without the needs of their students and workforce in mind, jeopardizing their ability to keep parenting students enrolled and their workforce retained and productive.

 

Experts from New America share strategies, real-world examples, and lessons learned that can help improve child care access and support for student parents nationwide.

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How California Can Improve Access to Higher Education for Non-Traditional Learners

Mark Milliron, The Sacramento Bee

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Adult college students, who make up about a third of the nation's undergraduates, are likely to be part-time students so they can work and care for their families. As they juggle jobs and school, they encounter a challenging journey in today's higher education environment. And many struggle to persist: more than half of adult learners give up on college after their first year.

 

There are three key policy changes that can shape postsecondary education to more strongly support the lives and realities of today's non-traditional learners, writes Mark Milliron of National University in this op-ed.

HUMAN WORK AND LEARNING

Miami Partnership Aims to Hook Businesses—Large and Small—on Apprenticeship

Colleen Connolly, Work Shift

Teacher Apprenticeships Are Taking Off in Colorado. Could They Help Schools Chip Away at the Educator Shortage?

Erica Breunlin, The Colorado Sun

More College Students Now Learn Entirely Online Than Completely In-Person

Elissa Nadworny, NPR

Widening Efforts to Address Labor Skills Gap

Scott White, Forbes

EQUITY IN EDUCATION

UW-Madison Closes DEI Division, Moves Programs to Other Departments

Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio

ED Won’t Fund CTE, Dual Enrollment for ‘Illegal’ Students

Ryan Quinn, Inside Higher Ed

A $200 Million Endowment Focused on Black Americans Is Taking Shape

Alex Daniels, The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Opinion: Attacks on Higher Education Are Attacks on All Americans

Matt Motta and Dominik Stecuła, Scientific American

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

New ‘FutureReady States’ Initiative Will Promote Short-Term Credential Programs in North Carolina, Other States

Ben Humphries, EdNC

What Survey Shows About Americans With Bachelor’s Degrees

Emma Gallegos, EdSource

FEDERAL POLICY

House Panel Pushes Colleges to Cut Ties With Chinese Scholarship Program

Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

Official: Federal Cuts Could Remove 90 Percent of Montana Tribal College Budget

Mack Carmack, KTVQ

Visa Policy Shift Threatens Mississippi’s International Student Pipeline and Millions in Revenue

Chris Oswalt, WAPT

The Effects of Federal Funding Freeze, $71-Million Gap in Colorado, on Higher Education

Dan Grossman, Denver7

NEW PODCASTS

Why 99% of These Students Get Jobs Before Graduation

The EdUP Experience

Using Data Partnerships to Better Understand Online Learners

Illumination by Modern Campus

Using AI in Higher Education Enrollment to Improve Fit, Speed, and Student Satisfaction

Changing Higher Ed

How Listening to the Community Transforms Colleges

Radical Cooperation

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

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