Lumina Foundation
@luminafoundation.bsky.social
We’re a private foundation committed to increasing the share of adults in the U.S. labor force with degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity to 75 percent by 2040. Learn more about our work and mission: www.luminafoundation.org/
Higher education IS economic development, and we need to invest in its success for everyone.
Read more and subscribe to Open Campus’ newsletter here: https://www.opencampus.org/2026/02/13/how-higher-ed-drives-economic-growth/
Read more and subscribe to Open Campus’ newsletter here: https://www.opencampus.org/2026/02/13/how-higher-ed-drives-economic-growth/
How higher ed drives economic growth - Open Campus
The median U.S. household takes home nearly $20,000 more in income than it did 50 years ago. A key reason? College.
www.opencampus.org
February 13, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Higher education IS economic development, and we need to invest in its success for everyone.
Read more and subscribe to Open Campus’ newsletter here: https://www.opencampus.org/2026/02/13/how-higher-ed-drives-economic-growth/
Read more and subscribe to Open Campus’ newsletter here: https://www.opencampus.org/2026/02/13/how-higher-ed-drives-economic-growth/
At the Economic Club of Indiana luncheon yesterday, Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis delivered a clear message: "The question is not whether AI will shape the future. It will. The question is whether we will shape AI’s impact through smart investments in people."
February 13, 2026 at 5:50 PM
At the Economic Club of Indiana luncheon yesterday, Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis delivered a clear message: "The question is not whether AI will shape the future. It will. The question is whether we will shape AI’s impact through smart investments in people."
Done right, Workforce Pell can remove barriers that have long limited opportunity. Done poorly, it risks funding short-term credentials without clear pathways to wage growth or long-term mobility.
New America takes a hard look at why it's so crucial that Workforce Pell has lasting power:
New America takes a hard look at why it's so crucial that Workforce Pell has lasting power:
Workforce Pell Implementation Matters Beyond 2026
If we treat Workforce Pell as a strategic lever, we can use it to align fragmented systems, strengthen quality and accountability, and bring disconnected learners into long-term pathways.
www.newamerica.org
February 12, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Done right, Workforce Pell can remove barriers that have long limited opportunity. Done poorly, it risks funding short-term credentials without clear pathways to wage growth or long-term mobility.
New America takes a hard look at why it's so crucial that Workforce Pell has lasting power:
New America takes a hard look at why it's so crucial that Workforce Pell has lasting power:
After releasing the latest Stronger Nation numbers last week, we received many thoughtful questions about where the data comes from and how we analyze, measure, and interpret it.
We welcome those questions. Transparency matters. That’s why we openly share our methodology and approach. Take a look:
We welcome those questions. Transparency matters. That’s why we openly share our methodology and approach. Take a look:
Methodology | Stronger Nation
Learn how Lumina measures educational attainment and credentials of value. Explore the data sources, methodology, and calculations used to assess trends in post-high school educational attainment and credentials of value nationwide.
strongernation.luminafoundation.org
February 11, 2026 at 9:07 PM
After releasing the latest Stronger Nation numbers last week, we received many thoughtful questions about where the data comes from and how we analyze, measure, and interpret it.
We welcome those questions. Transparency matters. That’s why we openly share our methodology and approach. Take a look:
We welcome those questions. Transparency matters. That’s why we openly share our methodology and approach. Take a look:
Accountability strengthens communities, and at a time when trust in news is fragile, public-facing accountability matters.
Meet Tracey Compton, who steps into a new role as public editor for Indianapolis:
Meet Tracey Compton, who steps into a new role as public editor for Indianapolis:
Q&A: A new kind of public editor is taking on the entire city of Indianapolis - Poynter
Tracey Compton discusses a pilot designed to bring accountability and media literacy across multiple local newsrooms
www.poynter.org
February 11, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Accountability strengthens communities, and at a time when trust in news is fragile, public-facing accountability matters.
Meet Tracey Compton, who steps into a new role as public editor for Indianapolis:
Meet Tracey Compton, who steps into a new role as public editor for Indianapolis:
This is talent our communities and economy can't afford to waste, and thankfully, this piece from GBH shows how colleges across the country are reconnecting with adults who left before earning a credential.
Colleges are reconnecting with students who left before earning their degrees
As the college-age population shrinks, states and campuses are trying to bring adult learners back before it’s too late.
www.wgbh.org
February 11, 2026 at 3:29 PM
This is talent our communities and economy can't afford to waste, and thankfully, this piece from GBH shows how colleges across the country are reconnecting with adults who left before earning a credential.
If you missed last week's Stronger Nation release, you can still catch the webinar on demand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_n1HQ0sixQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_n1HQ0sixQ
The next chapter of A Stronger Nation: From progress to payoff
National data journalist Steve Kornacki, one of the country's most trusted voices on data and trends, is joining Lumina Foundation for a special edition of its A Stronger Nation webinar.
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:59 PM
If you missed last week's Stronger Nation release, you can still catch the webinar on demand:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_n1HQ0sixQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_n1HQ0sixQ
Lumina's PJ Woolston isn't critiquing higher education from the sidelines. He's lived it, spending years as a college administrator, navigating the same systems often called "administrative bloat." That firsthand experience is what gives this piece in Inside Higher Ed clarity and urgency.
Counting Vice Presidents Misses the Point (opinion)
The real problem is unbounded priorities.
www.insidehighered.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Lumina's PJ Woolston isn't critiquing higher education from the sidelines. He's lived it, spending years as a college administrator, navigating the same systems often called "administrative bloat." That firsthand experience is what gives this piece in Inside Higher Ed clarity and urgency.
New findings released during our Stronger Nation webinar this afternoon show progress and a clear picture of the work ahead.
Today, 43.6 percent of working Americans hold a degree or credential that delivers higher wages than a high school diploma.
Dig into our tool to see the data:
Today, 43.6 percent of working Americans hold a degree or credential that delivers higher wages than a high school diploma.
Dig into our tool to see the data:
Credentials of Value | Stronger Nation
Explore how post-high school education connects to higher wages, economic mobility, and a stronger future for all Americans.
bit.ly
February 5, 2026 at 7:43 PM
New findings released during our Stronger Nation webinar this afternoon show progress and a clear picture of the work ahead.
Today, 43.6 percent of working Americans hold a degree or credential that delivers higher wages than a high school diploma.
Dig into our tool to see the data:
Today, 43.6 percent of working Americans hold a degree or credential that delivers higher wages than a high school diploma.
Dig into our tool to see the data:
It's not too late to join the Stronger Nation webinar at 2 p.m. EST TODAY as Steve Kornacki makes sense of data that will show where the nation stands when it comes to higher ed that actually pays off for students, their families, communities, and our country.
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
February 5, 2026 at 2:50 PM
It's not too late to join the Stronger Nation webinar at 2 p.m. EST TODAY as Steve Kornacki makes sense of data that will show where the nation stands when it comes to higher ed that actually pays off for students, their families, communities, and our country.
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
We're hiring six paid interns this summer to help advance learning beyond high school and economic mobility, with equity at the center. These roles span strategic communications, public policy, convenings, impact investing, and more, based in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.
Apply here:
Apply here:
Lumina Jobs and Careers, Internships, Full-Time Positions
Lumina Foundation seeks talented people to help carry out its work. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer located in Indianapolis, USA.
www.luminafoundation.org
February 4, 2026 at 6:41 PM
We're hiring six paid interns this summer to help advance learning beyond high school and economic mobility, with equity at the center. These roles span strategic communications, public policy, convenings, impact investing, and more, based in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.
Apply here:
Apply here:
Student loan repayment shouldn't be a maze. New research from the Community Service Society of New York shows what really helps borrowers build financial security.
Join CSS on Feb. 11 to explore strategies states, counselors, and policymakers can use to remove barriers before repayment begins.
Join CSS on Feb. 11 to explore strategies states, counselors, and policymakers can use to remove barriers before repayment begins.
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Borrower Perspectives on Student Loan Repayment: Barriers & Solutions. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
Join us for practical strategies and insights to help counselors, states, and policymakers strengthen student borrower outcomes.
New research from the Community Service Society of New York (CSS) reve...
zoom.us
February 4, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Student loan repayment shouldn't be a maze. New research from the Community Service Society of New York shows what really helps borrowers build financial security.
Join CSS on Feb. 11 to explore strategies states, counselors, and policymakers can use to remove barriers before repayment begins.
Join CSS on Feb. 11 to explore strategies states, counselors, and policymakers can use to remove barriers before repayment begins.
Join us as Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis takes the stage at The Economic Club of Indiana's luncheon at noon on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Indiana Convention Center.
Get your ticket now to be part of the conversation:
Get your ticket now to be part of the conversation:
The Economic Club of Indiana February 2026 Luncheon
Join us for a lively event on February 12, 2026, as we welcome Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of Lumina Foundation.
www.eventbrite.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Join us as Lumina President and CEO Jamie Merisotis takes the stage at The Economic Club of Indiana's luncheon at noon on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Indiana Convention Center.
Get your ticket now to be part of the conversation:
Get your ticket now to be part of the conversation:
On Feb. 5, join us for a deep dive into what’s working, where the gaps are, and how we can get to 75 percent by 2040. This is a conversation we can’t afford to miss. Register for Thursday’s webinar now.
(There will be charts)
https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
(There will be charts)
https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
February 2, 2026 at 4:09 PM
On Feb. 5, join us for a deep dive into what’s working, where the gaps are, and how we can get to 75 percent by 2040. This is a conversation we can’t afford to miss. Register for Thursday’s webinar now.
(There will be charts)
https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
(There will be charts)
https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
Today's education and training systems weren't built for people already in the workforce. But that has to change.
"Lifelong learning sounds like a sentence to most workers, but it’s now a structural necessity."
"Lifelong learning sounds like a sentence to most workers, but it’s now a structural necessity."
Education and Training Must Adapt to Incumbent Workers' Needs | Jamie Merisotis, Lumina Foundation
In this interview for The Future of Work(ers), Lumina Foundation and CEO Jamie Merisotis tells journalist Ramona Schindelheim that "part of the problem with the education and training system, writ large, is that it is not designed for (workers) who are ...
www.youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:31 PM
Today's education and training systems weren't built for people already in the workforce. But that has to change.
"Lifelong learning sounds like a sentence to most workers, but it’s now a structural necessity."
"Lifelong learning sounds like a sentence to most workers, but it’s now a structural necessity."
"We want to put people at the center of the AI revolution and shift the balance of AI development in the direction of public good."
How Is AI Disrupting Education and Workforce Development Philanthropy?
Grantmakers who went in big on efforts like STEM education now face an environment where AI is wiping out many of those roles.
www.insidephilanthropy.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:00 PM
"We want to put people at the center of the AI revolution and shift the balance of AI development in the direction of public good."
A big goal needs clear data and even clearer direction. That's why we've invited national analyst Steve Kornacki to join our Feb. 5 webinar to break down new data and what it'll take to reach 75 percent of adults with credentials that lead to real economic value.
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
January 28, 2026 at 8:38 PM
A big goal needs clear data and even clearer direction. That's why we've invited national analyst Steve Kornacki to join our Feb. 5 webinar to break down new data and what it'll take to reach 75 percent of adults with credentials that lead to real economic value.
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
Register: https://bit.ly/4q45ybS
Storytelling alone won’t fix the problem. Real trust requires real change.
“Clamming up and treating public communication as this highly controlled exercise in risk mitigation—I don’t think that’s the path for higher education to restore public trust in what it’s doing.”
“Clamming up and treating public communication as this highly controlled exercise in risk mitigation—I don’t think that’s the path for higher education to restore public trust in what it’s doing.”
Their Value Attacked and Funding Cut, Higher Ed Fights Back
As public confidence erodes and Trump-era funding cuts mount, colleges are launching ad campaigns and joint messaging to defend their value.
washingtonmonthly.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Storytelling alone won’t fix the problem. Real trust requires real change.
“Clamming up and treating public communication as this highly controlled exercise in risk mitigation—I don’t think that’s the path for higher education to restore public trust in what it’s doing.”
“Clamming up and treating public communication as this highly controlled exercise in risk mitigation—I don’t think that’s the path for higher education to restore public trust in what it’s doing.”
Steve Kornacki will bring his signature fast-talking, data-translating clarity to A Stronger Nation at 2 p.m. EST on Feb. 5 to break down where we are now and what it will take for the country to reach 75 percent of adults with degrees or credentials that deliver real economic value.
Register:
Register:
The next chapter of A Stronger Nation, 2026 webinar
Lumina Foundation's annual A Stronger Nation webinar returns--and this year features one of the country's most influential voices on data and trends: Steve Kornacki.
www.luminafoundation.org
January 26, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Steve Kornacki will bring his signature fast-talking, data-translating clarity to A Stronger Nation at 2 p.m. EST on Feb. 5 to break down where we are now and what it will take for the country to reach 75 percent of adults with degrees or credentials that deliver real economic value.
Register:
Register:
Let's move past this false "degree or no degree" dichotomy and focus on removing barriers so that every aspiring student has a real opportunity to succeed, no matter which path they choose.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiemerisotis/2026/01/14/skip-college-get-rich-quick-yeah-its-not-that-simple/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiemerisotis/2026/01/14/skip-college-get-rich-quick-yeah-its-not-that-simple/
January 22, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Let's move past this false "degree or no degree" dichotomy and focus on removing barriers so that every aspiring student has a real opportunity to succeed, no matter which path they choose.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiemerisotis/2026/01/14/skip-college-get-rich-quick-yeah-its-not-that-simple/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiemerisotis/2026/01/14/skip-college-get-rich-quick-yeah-its-not-that-simple/
This rushed process burdens colleges with unrealistic demands, missing data, and flawed tools. The consequences could be severe, and "gaps" found with faulty data could be used to punish institutions.
Trump's admissions data collection strains college administrators
Universities must report student demographics, grades and test scores by March 18
hechingerreport.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:16 PM
This rushed process burdens colleges with unrealistic demands, missing data, and flawed tools. The consequences could be severe, and "gaps" found with faulty data could be used to punish institutions.
Lumina's Courtney Brown underscores a central truth at Inside Higher Ed's Student Success 2025 event: data is only powerful if it leads to meaningful action.
Institutions must stop chasing growth and instead use data to truly see today’s students and redesign systems around their lives.
Institutions must stop chasing growth and instead use data to truly see today’s students and redesign systems around their lives.
Ep. 186: What Does a Student-Centered Data Strategy Look Like? | Inside Higher Ed
The Key Podcast Ep. 185: Three Stories That Defined Higher Ed in 2025 Listen to how Inside Higher Ed The Key Podcast Ep. 184: Voices of Student Success: 2025 Trends and 2026 Predictions Inside Higher Ed The Key Podcast Ep. 183: Voices of Student Success...
www.insidehighered.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Lumina's Courtney Brown underscores a central truth at Inside Higher Ed's Student Success 2025 event: data is only powerful if it leads to meaningful action.
Institutions must stop chasing growth and instead use data to truly see today’s students and redesign systems around their lives.
Institutions must stop chasing growth and instead use data to truly see today’s students and redesign systems around their lives.
Men are more likely to leave college without finishing because of financial pressure, family responsibilities, career choices, and social isolation.
But we know that when they do return, they complete at the same rate as women. This tells us the problem isn’t persistence. It's the path back.
But we know that when they do return, they complete at the same rate as women. This tells us the problem isn’t persistence. It's the path back.
Why men are more likely than women to drop out of college
Men make up 42% of undergraduates and half of all stopouts, according to new data.
open-campus-dispatch.beehiiv.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Men are more likely to leave college without finishing because of financial pressure, family responsibilities, career choices, and social isolation.
But we know that when they do return, they complete at the same rate as women. This tells us the problem isn’t persistence. It's the path back.
But we know that when they do return, they complete at the same rate as women. This tells us the problem isn’t persistence. It's the path back.
"Mirage" is such a good word for what we're seeing about college's public perception, especially when actual enrollment tells a different story.
College is worth it. We have to figure out how to make it work better for more people, with fewer barriers and greater value.
College is worth it. We have to figure out how to make it work better for more people, with fewer barriers and greater value.
The College Backlash Is a Mirage
Americans are more pessimistic than ever about the value of a degree—but enrollment keeps going up.
www.theatlantic.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:46 PM
"Mirage" is such a good word for what we're seeing about college's public perception, especially when actual enrollment tells a different story.
College is worth it. We have to figure out how to make it work better for more people, with fewer barriers and greater value.
College is worth it. We have to figure out how to make it work better for more people, with fewer barriers and greater value.
"The public's been telling us that cost, flexibility and career relevance shape their view of college's worth," Lumina's Courtney Brown said. "So people aren't turning away from education — they're just getting more precise about what kind of education they want."
More students are going to college. Affordability and workforce training are factors
Overall enrollment is up slightly at colleges and universities, driven by gains at community colleges and public four-year programs.
www.npr.org
January 15, 2026 at 3:44 PM
"The public's been telling us that cost, flexibility and career relevance shape their view of college's worth," Lumina's Courtney Brown said. "So people aren't turning away from education — they're just getting more precise about what kind of education they want."