Lumina Foundation
@luminafoundation.bsky.social
290 followers 44 following 33 posts
We’re a private foundation committed to increasing the share of adults in the U.S. labor force with degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity to 75 percent by 2040. Learn more about our work and mission: www.luminafoundation.org/
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luminafoundation.bsky.social
"People want it. They value it. But they don’t trust the current system can deliver it," Lumina Vice President of Impact and Planning Courtney Brown said.

To rebuild confidence in higher ed, we need a system that’s accessible, transparent, and built for today’s students.
The State of Higher Education in America
Blog Higher Ed On-Demand Demo: Parchment Certificate Services See how simple it is to issue and manage certificates with Parchment Certificate Services. In this quick demo, you'll get a clear look at both the administrator and learner experience. Podcas...
www.parchment.com
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Rewarding the wrong values, The Washington Monthly Editor Paul Glastris said, gives a "hot nightclub idea of what a college is." So they took a different path, focusing on affordability, public service, and upward mobility.

Let's stop asking who’s the most elite and start asking who’s delivering.
We’re Thinking About College Rankings All Wrong
The annual list from U.S. News and World Report is helpful for affluent families and those with the resources to compete for a spot at elite universities. What about everyone else?
www.thenation.com
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Career-connected experiences like internships, research, and service learning build real-world skills and make learning more meaningful.

That's why we're excited to launch a new grant opportunity to scale this work.

Please join us for a webinar at 12 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Oct. 8, to learn more:
We’re looking to fund ideas that connect experiences to career preparation.
What if every student left college with the skills, experiences, and confidence to thrive in today’s workforce? Career-connected High-Impact Practices (HIPs)—such as internships, undergraduate researc...
www.luminafoundation.org
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Freedom to learn depends on freedom to teach, but when that's at risk, transparency, inquiry, and trust erode.

These campaigns distract from the real work of helping students learn and thrive, and could prevent students from the education they need to build a fair, secure, and prosperous future.
Local colleges targeted amid growing campus culture wars
National media and conservative groups are seeking syllabi and student information from public colleges; professors say they feel targeted and harassed.
www.wgbh.org
luminafoundation.bsky.social
At the Athens Democracy Forum this week, Lumina’s Jamie Merisotis joined a global panel on “Silencing the Academy.” The conversation covered higher ed’s enduring value and underscored why defending academic freedom is vital to protecting democracy and creating fair learning opportunities.
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Degrees still deliver. It’s the systems around them that must change. And while we're at it, let's archive the myth of the "overeducated American."

Nate Weisberg's @Washington Monthly Washington Monthly piece is a great look at this narrative and what we can do about it:
The College Degree Is Not Losing Value
AI is disrupting entry-level work, and graduates constitute a growing share of the long-term unemployed. But the degree's value still holds.
washingtonmonthly.com
Reposted by Lumina Foundation
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Colleges can’t serve adult learners with minor tweaks or adjustments. Progress will mean institutional overhauls to design with today's students in mind.

For the 43 million Americans with some college but no degree, many of them Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American, this work is urgent.
Adult learners need more than tweaks, and here’s how some colleges are stepping up
Colleges eager to help adult learners—especially Black, Hispanic and Latino, and Native American adults who have historically been left behind—know this goal requires more than surface-level tweaks. It demands deep, sustained, and mission-driven institutional change.
www.luminafoundation.org
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Too many adults in rural communities are ready to return to college, but colleges aren’t reaching them.

We’ve launched a new initiative with CollegeAPP and StrategyForward Advisors to support six rural colleges as they reimagine how they connect with adults who left college before finishing.
Lumina supports project to reimagine how community colleges connect with adults
Lumina Foundation, CollegeAPP, and StrategyForward Advisors have joined to launch the Rural Community College Adult Learner Engagement initiative, supporting a cohort of rural colleges in strengthenin...
www.luminafoundation.org
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Let's turn "I don't think I can get in" into "I'm going to college.

We're investing nearly $3.3M in states, systems, and colleges ready to transform admissions. Join our webinar at 2 p.m. EDT Sept. 30 to learn more about this funding opportunity. https://bit.ly/4mqvxIv
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Short-term credentials only work when they deliver real, genuine value for students. That means better wages, job stability, and career growth. We must design short-term programs with today’s students in mind and alongside employers to connect learning to real careers.
Train For the Job, Not Just the Credential.
It’s time for our education and workforce systems to serve adult learners, not just recent grads.
www.diverseeducation.com
luminafoundation.bsky.social
"Freedom to give is not about politics. It's not about ideology. It's about people." https://cof.org/page/public-statement-philanthropy

#UniteInAdvance
luminafoundation.bsky.social
"The admissions process is acting as a gatekeeper instead of a gateway. There was this really unique opportunity for us to fundamentally just change the system."

And they did.

More than 2 million students now have access to redesigned admissions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H4qdL-QCYs&t=3794s
Podcast: Lessons from a year of college admissions redesign: Insights from a nationwide movement
YouTube video by Lumina Foundation
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Lumina Foundation
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Please join us at 1 p.m. EDT today as we go live with a special recording of our "Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent podcast."

We’ll share what we've learned in the first year of the Great Admissions Redesign, a nationwide effort to rethink college admissions from the ground up.

Register now:
Join our live podcast TODAY as we reimagine college admissions
In 2023, Lumina Foundation launched The Great Admissions Redesign—a bold initiative challenging higher education systems, institutions, and state agencies to rethink admissions from the ground up. The...
us02web.zoom.us
luminafoundation.bsky.social
Please join us at 1 p.m. EDT today as we go live with a special recording of our "Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent podcast."

We’ll share what we've learned in the first year of the Great Admissions Redesign, a nationwide effort to rethink college admissions from the ground up.

Register now:
Join our live podcast TODAY as we reimagine college admissions
In 2023, Lumina Foundation launched The Great Admissions Redesign—a bold initiative challenging higher education systems, institutions, and state agencies to rethink admissions from the ground up. The...
us02web.zoom.us
luminafoundation.bsky.social
In its Labor Day special, @theworld.org examines the value of American higher education at a time of deep uncertainty.

The global impact of U.S. education is clear. What’s at stake is whether America continues to open or close doors for students.

Take a listen:
The value of American higher education
An in-depth examination of the value of an American higher education for international students and the challenges they now face in studying in the US, particularly with new visa restrictions in place.
theworld.org
luminafoundation.bsky.social
"Our ambition for outcomes and driving toward results means that we have to see ourselves differently. We do have to see ourselves as not just grant makers, not just cash registers with a conscience," Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis told The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
This Foundation Measures Its Impact by One Number. Is That a Model for Success?
The Lumina Foundation threw virtually all its resources at changing one metric. Now, with its holy grail in sight, it’s making the goal even harder to reach.
www.philanthropy.com
Reposted by Lumina Foundation
theworld.org
ICYMI: Our Labor Day special offers an in-depth examination of the value of an American higher education for international students and the challenges they now face in studying in the US. We also hear about American faculty and researchers faced with funding cuts and a potential brain drain.
Education Special: The value of American higher education - The World from PRX
Our Labor Day special offers an in-depth examination of the value of an American higher education for international students and the challenges they now face in studying in the US, amid new visa restr...
theworld.org
Reposted by Lumina Foundation
theworld.org
The US economy could lose $7 billion in spending and 60,000 jobs as a result of the bans and restrictions imposed by the White House on international students. That is according to NAFSA, the Association of International Educators.
International student restrictions could cost the US billions - The World from PRX
The US economy could lose $7 billion in spending and 60,000 jobs as a result of the bans and restrictions imposed by the White House on international students. That is according to NAFSA, the Associat...
theworld.org
Reposted by Lumina Foundation
theworld.org
Our Labor Day special offers an in-depth examination of the value of an American higher education for international students and the challenges they now face studying in the US. We also hear about American researchers faced with funding cuts and a potential brain drain.

Tune in 📻 bit.ly/3xyRRfD
luminafoundation.bsky.social
The best HSIs prove what’s possible. A focus on delivering affordable education, strong support services, and culturally responsive programs shows how real opportunity is created: students graduate at higher rates, families gain stability, and communities thrive.
America’s Best Hispanic-Serving Colleges
We ranked the Best Hispanic-Serving Colleges because colleges have an obligation to serve the one student population that’s growing.
washingtonmonthly.com