Daily Lumina News 010324

During his three years of working in the diversity, equity, and inclusion division at the University of North Texas, Marcos Villarreal became a mentor to many young people. He was especially beloved among one particularly vulnerable group—undocumented students.
But Villarreal resigned recently to abide by a new Texas law banning DEI offices. Immigration and higher education experts now worry that the law will threaten support systems across the state for students who depend on them to get through college.

Covey Denton, a science teacher in Wilson, North Carolina, woke up at 6 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and tried to access the simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid on her computer and then on her phone—no dice. After hitting refresh on multiple devices every 10 minutes for hours, she and her son, Elijah, ultimately gave up.
They're not alone. Students and parents across the country are experiencing similar frustrations as the reimagined FAFSA makes its much-anticipated debut.

A new method for funding community colleges in Texas could position two-year, public institutions as major players in training students on skills employers say are missing in the state’s labor force.
House Bill 8’s historic $683 million investment in community colleges rewards schools for getting students to complete a degree or certificate, transfer to a four-year university, or participate in college courses as early as high school.

Aléshah Brown wasn’t even in high school when she started having doubts about college. She eventually found a website that promised, in plain and simple English, to help her start her journey. The site also included how much money Brown could make in particular jobs.
The clear-cut message didn’t come from academics or administrators, policymakers or politicians. It’s the brainchild of an advertising executive. And it underscores how glaringly little the higher education industry itself has done to confront the crisis of confidence that is eating away at its business.

Birmingham-Southern College has been plagued by financial instability for years, with the 2009 recession and COVID-19 exacerbating the consequences of overly ambitious investments and hulking debts.
Closure seemed imminent, until Alabama lawmakers appeared to offer a lifeline: a law tailored toward saving the 167-year-old school with a program that could loan millions of dollars. But in October 2023, the state treasurer denied the school’s loan application, sending administrators scrambling once again to save their school.

When dorms and dining halls shut down for winter break, college students who rely on campus food services lose a critical resource.
Some colleges are taking note—and steps—to ensure that students who face food insecurity can access meals through the holidays.