Daily Lumina News 060821

Too many institutions, in focusing on competition, rankings and prestige, have given short shrift to their role in growing the middle class and helping less advantaged Americans move up, writes Bridget Burns, founding executive director of the University Innovation Alliance, in this op-ed.
Better outcomes and graduation rates are possible for underrepresented and low-income students if institutions work together and share what they've learned, she says. This week, the UIA released results from its own work to improve student success—lessons it believes can be applied at institutions across the country.

As a working mom, attending career-building classes outside of her job did not fit well into Kandyce Ashlock’s life.
Ashlock works at CareNow Urgent Care, an integrated line of business for HCA Healthcare. A new partnership between her employer and The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP) in Texas is giving the medical assistant an opportunity to take a step up in her career by training online—and while at work—to become a limited medical radiography technologist.

Starting this week, the state of Colorado will be giving away 25 scholarships worth $50,000 each to individuals ages 12-17 who get COVID-19 vaccines. Colorado is the fourth state to offer huge scholarship incentives to students.
The goal for Colorado is to not only protect younger populations through the new campaign—part of the Comeback Cash sweepstakes that includes $5 million in prizes for the adults—but also to educate them on the merits of post-high school learning.

Historically Black colleges and universities across the country are making efforts to lighten the debt loads of their recent graduates after a tumultuous and financially difficult academic year. To the surprise of many graduating seniors, some HBCUs announced that they would clear part or all of the balances owed in tuition, fees, and fines.
HBCU leaders are hoping the debt forgiveness will reduce financial strain on their students and possibly provide them more financial freedom in the future.