Daily Lumina News 041724

Americans value a college education and see two- and four-year degrees, in particular, as growing in importance.
However, a just-released report from Lumina Foundation and Gallup finds that cost is the biggest deterrent keeping adults away from pursuing higher education, though few understand the actual cost of a degree.

Few college admission cycles have been as hard on students as this one.
National College Decision Day—the deadline most schools set to decide on a college—is just two weeks away. But many college hopefuls are still unsure of where they stand financially, as issues persist with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

It’s no secret that the United Sates is in dire need of nurses. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 100,000 registered nurses nationwide have left the workforce because of unprecedented workloads, burnout, and stress. In Texas alone, officials are predicting a deficit of more than 57,000 nurses by 2032.
The Texas Workforce Commission is responding to this vast and growing need by investing heavily in apprenticeships, hoping to make entering the field more affordable and to attract more students to—and keep them in—nursing even if they need to work to support families.

Latino college students are more likely to be first-generation, working to support themselves, and caring for dependents than other college students, according to a new report by Excelencia in Education.
In this interview, Excelencia's Deborah Santiago discusses the latest research of Latino students and the institutions where they choose to enroll—plus what colleges can do to better support them and increase their degree attainment.

President Joe Biden announced plans this week to provide student debt relief to nearly 25 million more borrowers. Biden’s newest proposal aims to reduce or cancel student debt for those with financial hardship, those who have been repaying their loans for 20 years or more, and those with runaway interest.
But some Chicagoans are skeptical they will get the assistance they need.

A new survey reveals that many colleges and universities are unprepared to help their faculty members and students navigate artificial intelligence, even as its power and disruptive potential increase.
The 2024 Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers polls provosts about typical academic and university management issues that have become atypically fraught in a time of tight budgets, enrollment declines, and political heat.