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.
Declining student numbers, funding reductions, rising personnel costs, and policy changes at the state and federal level pose the biggest financial risks to colleges and universities, according to a recent survey of chief business officers. Those issues are consistent with an overall threat to higher education: that federal policy and economic uncertainty are stressing a sector already teetering on enrollment and demand cliffs.
Yet underneath those challenges lies another, less headline-grabbing danger: delayed upkeep and repairs to infrastructure and assets.
Columbia University’s deal with the Trump administration last month marked “a seismic shift” in the federal government’s approach to civil-rights investigations and offered a “roadmap” for colleges to follow in resolving such claims, according to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. In exchange for the ability to move forward with research operations, the university agreed to make a $200 million payment directly to the United States government.
The record sum will be paid out over three years. But what happens to that money once it leaves the university’s pockets?
Students are using ChatGPT more than ever—and ChatGPT knows it.
Last week, OpenAI launched "study mode" in its chatbot, aimed directly at the student market. It's meant to behave more like a tutor than a machine that spits out answers; it uses the Socratic method, builds quizzes, and creates study plans. The same day, Google announced a suite of study-oriented tools. Here's how older online study services, students, and professors are adapting.
Stanford University’s student-run newspaper sued two senior Trump administration officials this week to prevent the deportation of noncitizen students on the basis of their speech, taking aim at a federal law the administration has used to justify students’ arrests.
The Stanford Daily alleges its ability to do news and opinion journalism, the core of its mission, has been hindered by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. A student reporter quit the paper, the lawsuit says, while others have refused to publish articles, asked to have their names removed, or petitioned to have entire articles deleted.
Dr. Terry O'Banion, president emeritus of the League for Innovation in the Community College and one of the most influential figures in American community college education, passed away on July 25, 2025, at age 88.
O'Banion was widely regarded as one of the most prolific and provocative writers on community colleges, with more than 300 publications to his name. He also has been recognized as the architect of the "learning college" movement and dedicated his 60-year career to transforming how community colleges serve students.
Credit for prior learning is one strategy colleges and states can employ to expedite adult learners’ progress toward their degrees and promote student success. Past research also shows that students who take advantage of CPL opportunities have higher employment rates and increased earnings after graduation.
But administering CPL can be challenging. In this interview, officials from Utah Valley University discuss how to support instructors and learners navigating CPL.
.jpg?width=500&upscale=true&name=istockphoto-857689114-612x612%20(1).jpg)