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.
Recently, a focus on science, math, technology, engineering, and other STEM areas has eclipsed the value of humanities degrees. While it's undeniable that these disciplines play a crucial role in maintaining the strength of today's society and will continue to do so, they represent only a portion of the overall picture.
One does not become successful or proficient in any endeavor or profession (including STEM fields) without a solid grounding in critical thinking skills, which a liberal arts education provides. In short, the humanities are the cornerstone of a well-rounded education—and promote the kind of human skills that are needed more than ever in a technology-driven world.
When Congress created Workforce Pell, it didn’t just expand financial aid to short-term programs; it created an entirely new oversight and approval regime. That new regime places states at the forefront of Workforce Pell implementation. This is particularly evident when it comes to a crucial component of the implementation process: data.
If states want to do their job right and reap the program’s potential benefits, they need to be actively thinking about their data systems. If states wait to do so, they will already be behind, experts caution.
Curbing the shortage of skilled workers across the country requires more robust awareness outreach to youth and a focus on expanding registered apprenticeships as a workforce development strategy, according to a panel of witnesses who spoke before the House Small Business Committee this week.
At a hearing focused on career and technical education, several of the witnesses said that the shortage of skilled workers is hurting all companies, but especially small businesses, which increasingly don’t bid on contracts because they don’t have the workforce. Refilling the workforce pipeline requires broadening awareness of career and technical jobs, they noted.
Nearly half of American high school students are now using artificial intelligence tools to guide their college searches, and AI is increasingly influencing which schools they consider—and which ones they cross off their lists—according to a new national survey by EAB.
The findings land at a moment of significant uncertainty for higher education, where institutions are already battling declining birth rates, affordability concerns, and competition from alternative education pathways. AI, the survey suggests, is accelerating all of those pressures simultaneously.
Higher education can’t afford to back down and surrender its independence. That’s the message American Council on Education president Ted Mitchell sent at the opening of ACE’s annual meeting Thursday morning, calling on college leaders to resist a “federal takeover” by the Trump administration.
During the meeting, Mitchell argued that colleges must remain true to their mission, even under fire from a federal government willing to target those who don’t fall in line with their political priorities.
A key feature of the second Trump administration has been a multi-front campaign to align the nation’s colleges with the president’s political agenda. It’s a target-rich environment, with President Trump seeking to upend all types of college policies and procedures.
Now, states are joining the action. Conservative-leaning states, whether through legislative bills, executive orders from governors, or directives by institutional governing boards, are directly targeting many of the same targets the president has highlighted. From admissions to curriculum, accreditation to governance, and faculty tenure to institutional governance, public universities are facing a wave of new mandates, restrictions, and financial controls.
