Daily Lumina News 012721

Short-term credentials have been around for decades. But in this economic environment, with skyrocketing traditional college costs now beyond the reach of many, they're having a moment.
As the U.S. economy looks beyond the pandemic, students like Amina Abdoulaye will be desperately needed to fix a fundamental supply and demand problem in the United States. Quality short-term programs offer a solution, helping people gain new skills for the workforce quickly.

Dr. Miguel Cardona’s journey as an educator started in an elementary school classroom in Meriden, Connecticut. Now, Connecticut’s education commissioner is heading to Washington D.C. as President Biden’s pick for the nation’s Secretary of Education.
In this interview, Cardona talks about the challenges and opportunities he faces if confirmed by the Senate. Reporter Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of The Washington Post joins the conversation to discuss what she will be watching for as the U.S. Department of Education shifts from former Secretary Betsy DeVos's leadership to the Biden administration.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of the higher education landscape. International students forced to return to their home countries. Low-income students losing the jobs that kept them afloat. Professors and students alike pushed off campus and adjusting to virtual learning, sometimes without access to the technology they needed.
Six seniors at California colleges chronicle their ups and downs as they navigate the last year of their undergraduate education and make precarious plans for the future.

As colleges begin their spring terms, they’re still learning lessons about how students felt about the fall. One thing seems clear about the new normal: Students are struggling to make online classes work while worrying about their finances and their health.
A new survey by New America and Third Way reveals that the challenges plaguing students since the pandemic began haven’t disappeared. Some are getting worse.