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.
Students often leave clues that they’re struggling before they stop attending classes or exit college altogether. But those warning signs can be scattered across different offices and data systems, making it difficult for college staff to see the full picture or intervene before a student reaches a crisis point.
As colleges increasingly experiment with artificial intelligence, some are exploring whether the technology can help bring together those pieces and make student support more proactive. Austin Community College, for one, is testing a new initiative designed to identify student needs earlier.
As the dean of Harvard College, David J. Deming believes one of his responsibilities is to help shape the college’s response to generative AI. How should teaching change to ensure that students’ work is their own? What is the purpose of college when a free tool can provide personalized, expert knowledge in seconds?
In this interview, Deming discusses the evolving undergraduate experience, the need for more dialogue on AI, and how colleges can demonstrate to students that genuine learning involves some struggle.
International students are heading into another difficult fall, with new immigration restrictions taking effect just as applications and enrollment are already falling. One of the most consequential changes is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s new rule eliminating “duration of status,” the longstanding policy that has allowed international students and exchange visitors to remain in the country as long as they maintain their status and continue making progress toward completing their programs.
Beginning Sept. 15, F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors will instead be admitted for a fixed period tied to their program, capped at four years. Students who need more time will have to apply to the federal government for an extension of stay, adding a new layer of uncertainty for those whose programs routinely take longer than four years.
As some institutions move to restrict certain classroom instruction, Dartmouth College has been taking a different approach—teaching its students how to engage in difficult conversations about polarizing topics inside and outside the classroom.
Since the launch of Dartmouth Dialogues in 2024, the New Hampshire college has improved its public standing as a campus that promotes and values free speech. Donors have noticed, too. The university has raised at least $29 million toward the initiative, including a $25 million endowment from one alumni family.
Millions of federal student loan borrowers mired in a glitchy repayment process will soon face higher payments if they fail to get off of a low-cost plan that the Trump administration fought to end.
The U.S. Department of Education will place borrowers in the most expensive student loan repayment plan if they don’t exit the Saving on a Valuable Education repayment plan—a defunct Biden-era program—in the coming months. But some borrowers say the department’s system glitches have made it difficult to select a different plan.
A new evaluation of Ohio’s Columbus Promise program found that the tuition-free initiative doubled the enrollment of recent high school graduates at its community college partner institution and led to more awarded credentials. Unlike some high-profile Promise initiatives that rely on large philanthropic endowments, the Columbus Promise focuses on attendance at the local community college and covers tuition after other forms of financial aid are applied.
The findings come as community colleges nationwide continue to rebuild enrollment following pandemic-era declines and demographic pressures. Promise programs have gained popularity nationally over the past decade as communities seek to boost college attainment and workforce development.
