Daily Lumina News 122320

Tucked into Congress’s voluminous stimulus package are significant changes to higher-education law, including the resumption of federal financial aid to prison inmates.
The restoration of Pell grants for incarcerated students is just one of several higher-education equity provisions included in the funding bill. Lawmakers also agreed to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and forgive $1 billion-plus in loans for historically Black colleges and universities.

Community colleges play a key role in giving workers the skills needed to survive and thrive in an economy reshaped by the pandemic.
This is where Jill Biden has the potential to be truly transformative, writes David Soo in this opinion piece. Biden can wield a tremendous amount of power by calling on community colleges to meet this moment, encouraging them to partner with one another and new technology and educational providers to enhance what they do best.

As an incoming college freshman and a first-generation student, Itzela Tafolla saw California State University, Long Beach as a place to spread her wings for the first time in her young life. But, because of the pandemic, her college dream has a different reality.
College freshmen share their stories of life during COVID-19, how they're coping, and what their schools are doing to support them.

With 2020 coming to a close, many people are making resolutions to get in shape. And, even during a pandemic, a career that entails working out can be fun and profitable. Just ask Steve Zim.
Zim is a 30-year veteran of the fitness industry and the owner of "A Tighter U" in Culver City, California. You can learn more about Zim and what it takes to be a personal trainer in this video, which is part of a new series on promising career paths for early-career workers of all education levels.