Daily Lumina News 050222

Steven Uribe once described himself as a lost man because of a DUI and the resulting impact on his job and his future.
As part of his probation, Uribe was required to attend a mandatory meeting that introduced him to several life-changing resources. The STEP-UP program at Shasta College soon became an invaluable part of that equation.

About half of the more than $1 trillion in outstanding federal student Direct Loans are being repaid by borrowers through Income-Driven Repayment plans—plans that have been plagued with dysfunction for years.
The U.S. Department of Education recently unveiled several changes to these plans that will help about 3.6 million borrowers get closer to debt forgiveness. Advocates and industry experts weigh in on what this means.

Many high-quality credentials pay off. But new research also shows that nearly two-thirds of undergraduate certificate programs left their students worse off than the typical high school graduate, making an average of less than $25,000 per year.
Meanwhile, some institutions are quietly resisting a proposal to strip federal funding from low-payoff programs.

California community colleges watched their enrollment drop dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 300,000 fewer students enrolled in fall 2021 compared with fall 2019.
Many Californians who dropped out from community college were challenged by online learning, financial needs, and mental health. Some intended, or still intend, to re-enroll, although the decision to leave community college sent all of them down new paths.

For millions of young Americans, student loan debt is the organizing principle of their lives, replacing the dreams they once had with an exacting pragmatism.
Now, many spend their adult lives grimly policing their paychecks, their payments, and even the prospect of starting a family. But it doesn't have to be like this.

Pikes Peak Community College is poised to transform into Pikes Peak State College after Colorado governor Jared Polis signed a bill last month to change the college’s name.
Several other community colleges are following that lead, dropping the word “community” from their names as institutional leaders re-envision their academic offerings and try to avoid negative stereotypes.