Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent

Workforce Pell takes effect on July 1 this year.  The expansion of the entitlement program opens access to many more Americans seeking high-quality, short-term training programs that lead to in-demand jobs.  The program also brings many new questions and opportunities to our higher education and workforce development systems.  Lumina Foundation's Katie Berger and Kermit Kaleba have been working on...

Earlier this year, Lumina Foundation released an updated  Stronger Nation  report with a new Credentials of Value tool.  On this month's episode, Dakota talks with Courtney Brown and Chris Mullen, going behind the scenes on the creation of the tool, digging into data availability, and ultimately, how we can connect data to strategy.  Tom Harnisch of  SHEEO also joins the show to highlight states t...

In March 2026, Lumina Foundation announced the  From Campus to Career initiative —an effort to scale career-connected high-impact practices and strengthen workforce outcomes for students.  In this deep dive episode, we talk with experts and practitioners to better understand what makes a practice high-impact, the factors that lead to institutional change, and the importance of authentically engagi...

Reflecting on 2025, this show brings back key conversations that are sure to carry over into 2026. This episode revisits a conversation about American prosperity and Lumina's new goal focused on credentials of value, a discussion about higher education's role in shaping artificial intelligence, and a review of three states working to redesign admissions systems.  

High-quality learning beyond high school has the power to transform lives. Better-educated people earn more, are more active in their communities, and even live longer. The question now is how can the higher education system serve more people better? In this interview, Lumina Foundation's Jamie Merisotis offers insight from his decades of experience as an author, policy innovator, and philanthropi...

Hear insights from a nationwide movement. The live podcast includes real stories from the field illuminating how change happens—and where it's heading.

This summer, the National Student Clearinghouse issued a new report with mixed news.  While many states have made progress in re-enrolling people who have some college credit but have yet to earn their credential, the total population of US adults in this group has grown.  Now, over 43 million Americans have some college credit but stopped out before they could complete their first credential.  Lu...

Twenty-four states allow community and technical colleges to issue bachelors degrees. Proponents argue that these programs are tightly aligned to workforce needs, more affordable, and meet the needs of people who live far or otherwise can't attend a university. Critics are concerned about the quality of education, financing these programs, and competing for enrollment with nearby universities. Gue...

Discover how higher education serves as a catalyst for climate solutions and societal progress in this live taping of Today's Students, Tomorrow's Talent podcast from the 2025 SXSW Podcast Lounge. Leaders in academia, policy, and environmental advocacy will unpack the role learning beyond high school plays in driving innovation, creating climate resilient economies, and preparing the next generati...

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans that currently do not have a degree believe that earning an academic credential is valuable.  And yet, there is waning confidence in higher education across the country, as many people ask if they will get a return on their investment.  In this episode, we visit Lupita Trujillo, a mother of three, who shares how these decisions sounded in her household.  We also review the...

This live session, taped at SXSW 2025, explores the interplay between higher education and artificial intelligence, delving into how academic institutions are responding to the proliferation of AI in the workplace and economy. Leaders from academia, economic development, and industry discuss how universities and colleges are advancing research and equipping students with the skills to lead in an A...

In this special edition, we have a conversation on how to drive economic growth, strengthen civic life, and equip individuals to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Experts from workforce, higher education and philanthropy will dive into how learning after high school cultivates a skilled workforce, fosters innovation, and improves quality of life for American communities.  This show was recorded...

Community colleges play a critical role in America, but many struggle to tell their own story. This episode dives into how schools are using SEO, branding, and mobile-friendly marketing to reshape perceptions and connect with their communities. Guests from Iowa Lakes, Great Falls, and marketing firm TrendyMinds share insights on innovative strategies—including how a mascot helped one college rebra...

In a word, the 2024 FAFSA season was rough. Released late, riddled with errors, and issues with processing led to a chaotic college enrollment season for schools and families. With the 2025 FAFSA now released, we took some time to catch up with James Kvaal, Under Secretary of Education to learn how they went about fixing the form.  We also talked with Sam Aleinikoff and Dr. Corey Sheffield of Coll...

Colleges and universities are facing a demographic shift now dubbed the "enrollment cliff."  Concerns over a decline in the number of traditional age students has led some institutions to rethink admissions processes. Lumina Foundation's Melanie Heath joins Rathi Sudhakara from the Washington Student Achievement Council and Jonathan Gagliardi from Northern Arizona University to discuss innovative...

States across the country have proposed or enacted legislation that hampers or eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on college campuses.  These efforts range from removing diversity statements from job posting to outright elimination of student support services.  Erin Gretzinger and Maggie Hicks from the Chronicle of Higher Education gives us a national overview and Veronica Selzler...

Recently released data on Lumina's Stronger Nation tool shows that the national education attainment rate has reached 54.3 percent. The country has increased in education attainment by 16 percentage points since 2008.  Dr. Courtney Brown and Dr. Chris Mullin of Lumina Foundation share the stories, insights, and considerations under these banner numbers.

There is a staffing crisis in healthcare - a crisis that is so bad, that  some are calling it a national emergency . To meet today's and tomorrow's labor demand, leaders need to provide clear and supported career pathways to adults already in the workforce.  In this episode, Dr. Jill Buban of  EdAssist  joins us to talk about their work developing new career pathways, and describes what it takes t...

A new report from NASPA and Uwill sheds light on the growing need and urgency to provide mental health services on college campuses.  In this episode, we discuss the findings from this national survey, discuss a state-wide initiative in Texas to improve mental health and wellbeing, and hear from two campus-based practitioners.   Guests include:  David Arnold,  NASPA Michael London,  Uwill Jenny Ac...

Listen in as state and federal policy experts weigh in on the major themes from 2022 and expectations for 2023.  Julie Peller from Higher Learning Advocates walks through the major movements at the federal level, and Paola Santana from Lumina Foundation discusses state-level priorities for the upcoming year.  Catch up with state leaders from Arkansas, California, Kentucky, and Michigan as they ref...

Mainstream media and industry news shapes, reinforces, and redresses commonly held narratives - those underlying beliefs and attitudes that drive human behavior - about higher education and the workforce.  Dr. Rita Parhad and Emily Keane from Protagonist discuss the major narratives and counter narratives that exist in America today, what drives them, and the implications these narratives have on...

Institutions and non-profits across the country are providing new kinds of services and redesigning policies and practices to support more adults in higher education. In part 2, we talk with Malik Brown and Sena Owereko from Graduate Philadelphia , and from Dr. Ed Mills and Kaley Martin at Sacramento State University about how they are changing outcomes for adult learners.

Millions of adults in the US have some college credit but never finished their degree. The path back into school a second time is much harder to navigate.  We begin a two-part series by talking with adult students and their coaches to learn about what it takes to return to school.  Listen as Juquilla Henry, her coach April Mesa, and Jamar Izzard share their stories of returning to higher education...

A new study conducted by Gallup and Lumina Foundation found that three-fourths of students in bachelor's programs and two-thirds of adults seeking associate degrees have considered taking a break from college due to emotional stress. Dr. Zainab Okolo of Lumina discusses the growing mental health crisis across the country and explores how it is having a great impact on adults and students of color....

Aligning the work of state agencies, colleges, universities, community organizations, and philanthropy towards common goals takes trust, a neutral intermediary, and a focus on what is best for students.  State-level networks across the country are leading efforts to make their state's education and workforce systems better.  Ryan Fewins-Bliss of the Michigan College Access Network, Chandra Scott o...