Photo: Ryan McVay

The dean of Harvard Medical School was emphatic when he announced that the school would end its participation in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Other schools soon followed, with officials citing flawed methodology that hurts equity efforts.

But the exodus also calls attention to the lack of other reliable and easy-to-find information to help consumers make one of the most consequential and expensive investments in their lives.

The long pause on federal student debt bills has been a relief to millions of students who borrowed tens of thousands of dollars to finance their education. That cushion is about to end in a matter of months.

Many are waiting anxiously to see if President Joe Biden's plan for mass student loan forgiveness will survive legal challenges. For some, it would mean instantly becoming debt free even as payments finally resume for others.

'It’s amazing how much you can accomplish if you don’t care who takes credit.'

After 19 years, Holiday Hart McKiernan, J.D., retired recently as executive vice president, chief operating officer, and general counsel for Lumina Foundation. In this commentary, she reflects on the importance of leadership and service—plus the power of a sense of purpose.