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.
In the past, lawmakers have pressured colleges and universities to cut the number of degrees they offer through measures such as publicly criticizing institutions or simply slashing funding and letting institutions figure out where to cut.
That's quickly changing. At least three Republican-dominated states—Indiana, Ohio, and Utah—passed specific laws this year that push institutions to eliminate degree programs that graduate few students. It's a trend that worries faculty and scholarly experts, who stress that the number of majors in a program isn’t the only or best way to gauge its worth.
Educators say migrant education programs help boost students’ academic skills and put them on track for college and careers.
But efforts such as the Migrant Education Student Academy in Monterey, California, and others like it throughout the state may soon disappear. President Donald Trump withheld federal funds for five programs, including migrant education, usually distributed to states on July 1. California is now suing the Trump administration over the frozen funds, which total about $121 million for migrant education in the state, according to an estimate by the Learning Policy Institute.
The safety net for federal student loan borrowers is about to be sharply overhauled.
The domestic policy bill that was signed into law recently makes radical changes to the way Americans will pay for college and could make access to higher education more difficult. It will also fundamentally alter the way borrowers repay their debts, which can easily spiral into tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes more.
Americans eager to gain new skills and energize their careers quickly and inexpensively are turning to increasingly popular short-term workforce programs. More than 3.2 million learners earned undergraduate certificates in the 2023-24 school year, an 11 percent jump over the previous year. Nearly three out of four adults without degrees say that industry certifications are “very” or “extremely” valuable.
But what really motivates adults to enroll? And are they choosing the right programs? A new study explores those questions and more.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that it would allow the Trump administration to resume dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
The ruling is not the final word, however, as the case continues to work its way through the lower courts. But it deals a serious blow to the states and school districts that had filed suit and whose leaders worry that, without an injunction, much of the damage done to the department before a final ruling will be impossible to reverse.
As generative AI becomes a staple in student learning, institutions are grappling with how to adapt without compromising academic integrity or human creativity. This shift presents a unique opportunity to reimagine the roles faculty, curricula, and even the humanities play in shaping thoughtful, critically engaged learners.
In this interview, Victor Taylor of South Dakota State University discusses the impact of students using GenAI technologies and the evolving role of the humanities in an AI-driven landscape.
