Daily Lumina News 060623

Nearly 2,000 formerly incarcerated people return to Cleveland each year. And when they do, they will encounter a mountain of obstacles and few job prospects.
When formerly incarcerated people try to reintegrate into society, more than 1,600 laws and regulations often shut them out from employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Some lawmakers want to change that.

College leaders across the country are quietly talking about how they will respond if the U.S. Supreme Court justices, as expected, reject affirmative action—especially if the ruling applies beyond admissions.
Some colleges are planning to add an essay question to their applications about applicants’ identities. Others are creating commissions to study what to do. And some are conducting audits to identify areas that might need to change should the court further narrow or eliminate affirmative action.

For Texas higher education, this year has been one of massive investments in community colleges and instances of political overreach.
As public universities and their allies sought a slice of the state’s historic $32.7 billion budget surplus, they also had to tiptoe through the politics of several contentious bills that critics say will have a detrimental impact on higher education in Texas.

Student parents face a number of challenges in their pursuit of higher education. Many juggle work and family responsibilities while going to school and often struggle to find child care. Support from their college can mean the difference between success and failure.
A recently created three-year national certification from Generation Hope aims to help by recognizing and highlighting institutions that are actively and effectively working toward supporting student parents.

For Aaron Conrad, being able to attend the University of Pittsburgh as an in-state student meant having to work full time on top of his full-time studies. At times, it also entailed going to food banks.
Public universities provide lower tuition for in-state residents, but that discount doesn’t go as far at Pitt. The university’s average price of attendance for local families is one of the highest in the country, partly because of downward-trending state investment in public higher education.

“College is too expensive. Kids would do better if they just got a job.” Unfortunately, this narrative is gaining a foothold in the national psyche, and it’s increasingly reported as fact by media outlets across the spectrum.
But it's not about whether college is worth the cost. The focus should be on how to maximize opportunities for young people to advance their economic mobility, writes Kevin G. Walthers of Allan Hancock College in this op-ed.