In a new poll, about a quarter of Hispanic students in post-high school education and training programs report feeling discriminated against, harassed, disrespected or unsafe.

Researchers from Gallup and Lumina Foundation also found more than half of Hispanic students have considered stopping out in the past year.

Courtney Brown, vice president of strategic impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, said the problem is growing.

"Unfortunately, you know, we're seeing that number go up," Brown observed. "Last year, the number was about 45% struggling to stay in school. This year we found about 50%. That's concerning."

Students reported the most discrimination took place in certification programs, many of which involve hours spent on work sites off campus. According to UnidosUS, in Texas in 2019 almost 665,000 Latino students were enrolled in higher education; almost 40 % of the total college population.

According to Excelencia in Education, about 46% of Latino students in Texas make it to graduation at four-year institutions, a rate 12 points lower than white students. Brown noted the reasons students stop out vary, with cost and caregiving responsibilities high on the list.

"That's why having on-campus child care is so important," Brown contended. "Having a food bank, having emergency financial services, because sometimes a flat tire may be all it takes for a student to not be able to make it to class, not able to make it to their job, and then consider stopping out."

Texas colleges have many programs to help Latino students stay in school. This year six of the 19 finalists for the Excelencia in Education annual prize are from the Lone Star State, including Houston Community Colleges, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas Women's College, and a community program called Breakthrough Central Texas.


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College presidents testified before a congressional committee Tuesday on the rise of antisemitism on college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.

Colleges have become a hotbed of protest over Israel's counterattack on Gaza, which has killed more than 15,000 Palestinians.

Claudine Gay, president of Harvard University, said her focus has been to confront hate while protecting free expression, even of views considered offensive.

"But when that expression crosses into conduct that violates our policies around bullying, harassment, intimidation, threats; we take action," Gay stressed.

Gay pointed out Harvard has made it easier to report threats against Jewish, Muslim or Arab students on campus or online, increased mental health services and created spaces for all students and staff to process the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Congressional members questioned the college presidents over the intellectual diversity of their teaching staff, allowing campus speakers with anti-Israeli views, and recent disciplinary actions for students.

Sally Kornbluth, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said faculty are working to help students understand the full history of the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and ensure students have the tools needed to discuss these histories with one another.

"We have to move beyond formal training, which we are committed to, but to actual real dialogue and to actually model constructive and civil dialogue for our students," Kornbluth explained. "That's what being in university is all about."

While the college presidents were grilled by lawmakers from both parties, House Democrats noted Republicans have proposed cuts to the Department of Education's Civil Rights Office, which investigates incidents of antisemitism.


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A new report from WGU Labs, a nonprofit affiliate of Western Governors University based in Millcreek, Utah, is shedding light on the importance of strengthening higher education and workforce pathways.

Omid Fotuhi, director of learning innovation at WGU Labs, said many people who are considering higher education are asking themselves whether a four-year degree is a worthwhile investment to increase their chances of a prosperous career.

Half of those who do graduate from college didn't apply to entry-level jobs because they felt underqualified, according to 2021 research from the Cengage Group.

Fotuhi explained that has led to institutions feeling mounting pressure to demonstrate the value in higher ed.

"There are long-standing legacies and practices that have shaped the way the higher-ed institutions operate," he observed, "which means they have their own curriculum, they have their own majors and their own programs, that are almost independent of what the workforce needs are requiring."

Fotuhi sees workforce needs as both distinct, and changing at a rapid pace. The report notes that while employers continue to primarily hire workers with college degrees, they've expressed more willingness to accept other credentials and demonstration of skills in place of a degree.

Fotuhi is convinced institutions can better cater to local job markets by developing tailored skills, and rethinking conventional models of advising and internships to better serve both parties.

He argued he has seen "disjointed, separate levels of incentives," and contends these create silos between higher education and the workforce. He asserted the current system is broken and gaps need to be filled.

WGU Labs convened stakeholders earlier this year to explore barriers impeding the pathways from graduation to landing a job. Fotuhi added the solution won't be a single-pronged approach, but rather should be a collaborative effort.

"Bring folks to the table so we can have a collective understanding of where the pain points are," he insisted. "And second, let's recognize individuals for what they are -- which is lifelong learners, aiming to improve the chances at creating a better life for themselves through the opportunities the workforce stands to offer."

According to the report, WGU Labs is exploring pilot projects based on stakeholder insights in a search for tangible solutions to solve the challenges between higher-ed and the workforce.


Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




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More than two million jobs will be created in California each year through 2031 - and 72% of them will require more than a high school diploma, according to a new report.

Researchers at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce project the national economy will generate 18.5 million job openings per year, on average - and about 12.5 million of them will require at least some college education.

Georgetown Center Chief Economist Nicole Smith co-authored the report.

"There's a growing number of healthcare support jobs, a growing number of sales jobs, food and personal services jobs," said Smith, "and even blue-collar jobs that require more and more postsecondary education and training."

The report predicts the U.S. will have 171 million jobs in 2031, an increase of 16 million net new jobs from 2021.

Enrollment at California's community colleges dropped 18.5% at the start of the pandemic, a 30-year low.

It has rebounded 5% this school year, mostly among students ages 18 to 20, or over age 30. Enrollment among students in their 20s has dipped 2%.

Smith said she's concerned the United States isn't producing enough people with the skills, credentials and degrees needed to meet future workplace demand.

"We're not graduating fast enough," said Smith. "We know that colleges' and universities' enrollment has fallen substantially and it's not just COVID - enrollment was on the decline long before COVID. I would be concerned that the opportunities are going to go unfilled."

Last year, the state launched "California Reconnect," a program that helps people ages 25 to 54 who have some college credits return to school to finish their certificate or degree.

Participants can get professional coaching and may have unpaid fees forgiven.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.