In recent years, both policymakers and practitioners working to increase postsecondary attainment rates in the United States have shifted their focus from college access to college success. At the same time, they have recognized that the prevalence of 36 million adults with some college education but no postsecondary credential is an important…

This report examines the relationship between students' participation in high-impact practices (HIP) and their perceived learning gains, with special attention paid to the nature of these relationships among Black and Hispanic students and among students 25 years or older. In 2018, with support from Lumina Foundation, the National Association of…

Public two-year colleges serve as an important access point for two out of every five students enrolled in postsecondary education. However, only 40 percent of community college students earn a postsecondary credential of any kind within six years, limiting their opportunities for advancement. Hoping to increase student retention and success, many…

Differences by race and ethnicity exist in student borrowing trends. Statistics about debt loads, repayment trends, default rates, and forgiveness opportunities routinely appear in research papers, policy briefs, talking points, and news reports. But real progress over time depends on setting up the right conversation and narrative. So far, too…

A study from Lumina Foundation and Walmart shows how Walmart's Live Better U employee education initiative improves outcomes for associates and for Walmart. The report focuses on measurable impact for participating associates and includes disaggregated outcomes by race and ethnicity. Specifically, it shows how Walmart's employees of color use and…

As the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic reverberate across the nation into our homes, federal lawmakers are providing financial relief to help restart the economy as states scramble to create jobs and deploy resources to guard against further job losses and budget cuts. Lumina Foundation believes recovery begins with serving…

Economists, policymakers and other experts spend a great deal of time talking about the "future of work," but in many ways, the future is already here. Profound changes are already affecting our workforce and economy, including globalization, automation, and artificial intelligence. We need to adapt to these changes by adequately…

The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the United States economy and left a record number of individuals unemployed. In slightly under five months, more than 54 million people applied for unemployment for the first time, while the economy contracted by 33 percent, the largest dip in history. While the impact will likely be short-term for some career…

Intermediaries--also referred to as bridge builders, boundary spanners, conveners, and other names--fill the critical role of connecting all the parties in the system to empower people with the skills required in the labor force. Those parties generally include employers, educators, workers, and prospective workers. Within these categories may…

By themselves, colleges and universities cannot tackle all of the challenges facing students. They must collaborate with other organizations and state agencies to coordinate support and effectively communicate with students in need. Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic recession, institutions must also provide emergency financial…

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global and U.S. economy more profoundly than any other event since World War II. Just as the subprime mortgage crisis ushered in an 18-month economic decline and an ensuing state budget crisis, the current economic slide threatens to leave us in an even larger fiscal hole. Since COVID-19 hit, millions of…

Our international well-being has never felt so fragile for most of us alive today. Amid this backdrop, the international perspective--which this report offers--is critical to our understanding of emerging trends, issues, and priorities in higher education. Author Jamil Salmi thoroughly catalogs the global issues in higher education that have been…

While funding cuts are often necessary during economic downturns, reducing state investments in higher education will hamper recovery. If cuts are inevitable, a one-size-fits-all approach will undermine states' ability to meet future talent needs and ensure equitable opportunity. State leaders should evaluate funding decisions based on their…

While final enrollment numbers for this fall are still unclear, states and institutions can anticipate shifts in enrollment and transfer patterns for different student populations. To maximize higher education's potential as a pathway to economic recovery--and to make good on the promise of equitable opportunity for all students--policymakers must…

Differences by race and ethnicity exist in student borrowing trends, as decades of research and statistics on debt, repayment, and default rates have well established. Students who are Black, Hispanic or Latino, and Native American tend to have higher unmet financial need, incur more debt, and struggle financially to stay in school. Yet, even as…