Daily Lumina News 022823

Community colleges play a crucial role in providing access to postsecondary education pathways among historically marginalized groups, particularly young people aging out of foster care.
But new evidence suggests that some community college administrators may be neglecting and overlooking the specific challenges and complex barriers these students face. For example, more than 90 percent of Illinois students under state care fall short of completing any degree while enrolled at a community college.

Inflation, enrollment woes, and increasing intolerance of tuition increases are making this budget season especially difficult for colleges and universities.
In decades past, leaders might have mitigated precarious budgets by raising tuition, but that’s a hard row to hoe in 2023. The public narrative about student debt and the high price of college makes it difficult for any but the most in-demand institutions to increase tuition right now.

Roxbury Community College opened its doors 50 years ago. The school, which was founded to serve students of color, came into being through the activism of Black residents.
Reporter John Bender looks back at the history of Roxbury Community College and the challenges it faces at an existential moment for higher education. Jackie Jenkins-Scott, who serves as the school's interim president, joins the conversation.

Public awareness of education debt is high as President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan goes to the U.S. Supreme Court today. The plan would cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for many borrowers and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.
Here’s how student loan debt shakes out and who could stand to benefit.

One-stop services are not new to higher education. For decades, colleges have consolidated many of their admissions and enrollment services functions under a single umbrella office. This includes the bursar, the registrar, the cashier’s office, and financial aid.
A more recent trend is to consolidate student services into a single office or building to better serve students. The idea, say education advocates, is to create greater harmony in the student journey.

Mental health has always been a key indicator of college completion. Yet, many highly talented students are not realizing their full potential because they do not have access to the same mental health supports as their peers.
Lumina Foundation's Zainab Okolo discusses the challenges and opportunities around mental health care—plus the various ways to support students and create healthy communities on campus.