Daily Lumina News 020924

Finding a good-paying job with opportunity for career advancement hasn't been easy for Brenda Brooks. That’s why she wants to go back to Chicago State University where she first started a bachelor’s degree in the 1980s.
Like 40 million other Americans, Brooks never finished college the first time around. And like countless other one-time students who encounter economic pressure to return, she now faces a nearly insurmountable hurdle to graduating: Her grades from her first attempt at a degree make her ineligible for financial aid, and she can’t afford to pay for tuition out of pocket.

Free speech battles, donor revolts, legislative scrutiny, and student activism are not the higher education threats with which most presidents should be most concerned, suggest higher ed experts Michael T. Nietzel and Charles M. Ambrose in this essay.
Instead, at the vast majority of colleges, even some elites, the biggest challenge is a more fundamental one, common to most enterprises: how to operate in a financially responsible way.

In March 2022, then-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan unveiled a “first-in-the-nation” program rolling back degree requirements for thousands of government jobs. The decision was part of an effort to fill a large number of position vacancies. Since then, at least 19 other states have followed suit.
Such moves could also act as a signal to private-sector employers, encouraging them to not only rely on four-year degrees, but also look at other measures of skills. However, many experts say the changes won’t lessen the importance of a college diploma, which will continue to factor into hiring decisions and pay rates.

A core part of a professor’s job—and arguably the most central role of higher education—is teaching. Yet no matter how challenging the subject, how invested the professor, or how varied the students, teaching capability is often reduced to a number on a point scale.
Some colleges and universities are trying to change that equation. They're investing in more thoughtfully designed course evaluations, preparing faculty members to substantively critique their colleagues, and fostering discussions of teaching in departmental meetings.

Washington offers more need-based financial aid to undergraduate students than any other state in the country. Yet, college enrollment is stagnant, students are struggling to fill out the application for federal assistance, and millions of dollars in aid are being left unclaimed.
Experts say there’s no one simple fix. Washington is a large state with both urban and rural areas, a robust community college system, and a history of available jobs in industries that don’t require a degree. For students to take better advantage of the available aid, they need to know their options, education leaders say.

As the workforce continues to evolve on a daily basis, the need for individuals to upskill and reskill is greater than ever. For many students, learn-to-earn programs are a way to earn money to pay for college while also gaining the skills that employers are looking for before they even finish a degree.
In this interview, Jane Swift of Education at Work discusses the importance of learn-and-earn programs, their fundamental elements, and how Indiana is creating robust career pathways for students to achieve good jobs in the area.