Daily Lumina News 011724

Research shows that rural learners face unique challenges in getting to and through college, including reliable transportation, food and housing insecurity, and access to health care and high-speed internet.
A new report from the Institute for College Access & Success offers insight on what higher education institutions and policymakers can do to break down the barriers that prevent students living in rural communities from pursuing their college dreams.

A year after being released from prison, three out of four people are unemployed. But the day after Brittany Wright, 30, got out in June, she was reporting to work. Now, six months later, she’s earning $31 per hour working on a light rail expansion project for Sound Transit.
Wright credits her new career path to a 16-week state program called Trades Related Apprenticeship Coaching, or TRAC, that helps combat a monumental challenge incarcerated people face when they reenter society: quickly finding jobs with decent wages in fields that will actually employ people with prison records.

Much has changed in higher education since the pandemic, with colleges everywhere forced to take a hard look at ways to better engage students, retain them, and graduate them.
On this episode of Future U, two leaders of the student success movement discuss what needs to happen to meet the immediate and long-term needs of students in today's new educational paradigm.

How do we prepare students for careers post high school? College? Apprenticeships? What is the best pathway for career exploration?
In this interview, Jean Eddy of American Student Assistance weighs in on preparing today's learners for a future that is dynamic, uncertain, and full of risk.

The higher education world was rocked by court decisions last year, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling against race-conscious admissions. This year looks to be no different, with courts poised to make similar waves.
Here are five lawsuits that could further change the higher education landscape in the coming months ahead.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opened on December 31. So far, it's been a bumpy start, with limited hours, glitches, and long periods of downtime. Some of the early issues have been resolved, and the form is now available 24/7.
Given all the frustrations, some prospective students might be asking if completing the FAFSA is worth the hassle. However, with large increases in Pell Grant eligibility this year, doing so has never been more important or valuable, experts say.