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.
President Donald Trump is determined to reshape U.S. higher education by instituting everything from federal funding cuts to the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and practices on college campuses. Many of these cancellations and restrictions impact America's community colleges, which educate approximately 40 percent of the country's undergraduates.
In this interview, three community college presidents—J.B. Buxton, Nerita Hughes, and Georgia Lorenz—discuss how the Trump administration's reforms on higher education are affecting their schools and their students.
Since its creation in 1965, the National Endowment for the Humanities has distributed more than $6.5 billion to support more than 70,000 projects, from landmark works like Ken Burns’s documentary “The Civil War” to small local efforts in every corner of the country.
But now, six months after the Trump administration canceled virtually all grants approved during the Biden administration, the nation’s largest public funder of the humanities appears to be transforming into a vehicle narrowly tailored to the president’s agenda.
The economy is uncertain, but eight in 10 undergraduates somewhat or strongly agree that their college is preparing them with the skills, credentials, and experiences they need to succeed in today’s job market. Simultaneously, the majority of students experience anxiety regarding their future prospects. Their biggest stressors vary but include struggling to afford life after graduation, lacking sufficient internship or work experience to get a job, and feeling a general pressure to succeed.
That’s all according to new data from a survey of more than 5,000 two- and four-year students.
The college admissions process has long been considered an anxiety-inducing affair—so much so that students and their parents plan for it for years.
Today, getting into college may be becoming easier, with admissions offices trying to lure more applicants from a declining pool of 18-year-olds. They’re creating one-click applications, waiving application fees, offering admission to high school seniors who haven’t even applied, and recruiting students after the traditional May 1 cutoff date.
This summer, the House Education and Workforce Committee marked up the Accreditation Choice and Innovation Act, which allows states to approve and oversee their own accrediting agencies. Supporters claim the move would spur innovation and better ensure quality.
However, a new estimate of the bill’s costs, released by the Congressional Budget Office, shows that policymakers should proceed with caution on proposals to open the floodgates to new accrediting agencies.
President Donald Trump said this fall that his administration is close to an agreement with Harvard University to pay $500 million to operate trade schools. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated in a CNBC interview in September that a “Harvard vocational school” is what America needs.
It might seem a little mind-bending given Harvard’s history and reputation, but the university is already actively engaged in the workforce development space, funding efforts that include a multi-school initiative, widely cited studies, continuing-education classes, and co-founding a national nonprofit seeking to improve pathways from school to work.
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