Daily Lumina News 050323

Inside Maine’s maximum-security lockup, Leo Hylton is giving a tour. Thirteen undergraduates, wearing bright-green lanyards strung with panic buttons, follow closely behind asking questions.
Hylton, who is serving 50 years for burglary, robbery, and attempted murder, began his higher education journey here. On this particular day, he is co-teaching a class for Colby College as part of a novel teaching arrangement that brings a prisoner into the classroom as an instructor.

For months now, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been in the news for his administration's aggressive higher education proposals to dramatically change how Florida's public postsecondary educational institutions operate.
Two decades ago, another governor launched a number of controversial moves on Florida's higher ed system. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush adds context to the current debates in the Sunshine State with his reflections on the higher ed policies he once championed, along with his successes and regrets.

Brittney Dixon has high hopes for her future. That includes a master's degree in psychology. Currently, the 29-year-old is incarcerated at Taycheedah Correctional Institution, a state women’s prison in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
For the first time in nearly three decades, incarcerated people like Dixon will soon be able to access federal Pell Grants to pay for college courses offered in prison. This episode of Here & Now explores how students and colleges in Wisconsin are preparing.

Lots of colleges and universities have announced tuition hikes for the upcoming school year, just as inflation is taking a bite out of many families' budgets.
Still, the real cost of college for most students has actually been falling for the past few years, after decades of growth. Nonetheless, college can still feel out of reach for some students. Two Washington, D.C., high school students explain how they're trying to make the math work.

A new undergraduate education division at the University of California, Riverside, includes student success as one of its four programs. The effort is being led by an associate dean who believes that trust, a collaborative community, and professional responsibility are all crucial for achieving student success.
In this interview, Robert Ream talks about his research in education policy, his philosophy for student success, and his goals for the program's first year.

“American Idol” alum and Broadway star Fantasia Barrino-Taylor's next career move doesn't involve singing or acting. Instead, she's headed to Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, to earn a degree in business.
Barrino-Taylor dropped out of high school at the age of 14. At 17, she became pregnant with her first child. She hopes her return to school sends a message to others that education has no timeline.