The US is falling behind in higher education. Can we turn the tide? | Courtney Brown for Big Think

Higher education is broken. Can we make it affordable for everyone?, with Courtney Brown
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Who are today's higher education students? They might not be exactly who you think. About 40% of today’s students work full time, while another 40% are at least 25 years old, with many coming from low-income families.

Today’s complex world of work increasingly calls for advanced skills and education. As a society, we have to help more people obtain quality learning that’s available to all. What does that mean, exactly? Lumina Foundation has an idea, embracing a national goal that by 2025, 60% of working-age adults will have a college degree, industry-recognized certification or other credential of value. Right now, we are at just over 50 percent, and we need to better understand who has access to higher education and who is succeeding in this system.

As Lumina's Courtney Brown notes, the organization’s mission is to help more people get this vital post-high school education, understanding that this learning remains a powerful force in addressing income and racial inequality, keeping America competitive in the fast-changing world economy.

Read the video transcript: https://bigthink.com/videos/post-secondary-education/

This video was created in partnership with the Lumina Foundation.

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About Courtney Brown:
Courtney Brown, Ph.D, is vice president of impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. As the chief data and research officer, Brown oversees the foundation’s efforts in the areas of strategic planning, learning, impact, and effectiveness. She also leads Lumina’s international engagement.

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Read more of our stories on post-secondary education:
American education: It’s colleges, not college students, that are failing
►► https://bigthink.com/the-present/us-college-graduation-rate/
Want Americans to graduate college? Make it affordable.
►► https://bigthink.com/the-present/college-affordability/
The problem with the push for more college degrees
►► https://bigthink.com/the-present/college-degrees/

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