Como medida audaz para atraer estudiantes académicamente talentosos, el Sistema de la Universidad de Tennessee está implementando un programa de admisión garantizada. El objetivo de esta iniciativa es aumentar la matriculación en los cuatro campus universitarios del sistema de la U-T con graduados de enseñanza de bachillerato del estado.

El Dr. Bernie Savarese del Sistema de la Universidad de Tennessee dice que la nueva política garantiza la admisión de los estudiantes que se gradúan entre el 10% superior de su clase o que logran un promedio de calificaciones de 4 puntos o más.

"Lo que sabemos," explica Savarese, "es que tenemos un grupo cada vez menor de graduados de bachillerato en todo el estado. Además, en los últimos años hemos observado un descenso de la asistencia a la universidad. Queremos ser más proactivos, transparentes y agresivos a la hora de garantizar la matriculación de los mejores y más brillantes estudiantes de bachillerato de Tennessee en todo el estado."

Savarese señala algunos criterios adicionales para los campus de la Universidad de Tennessee en Martin, Chattanooga y Southern. Admitirán a estudiantes que obtengan una puntuación A-C-T de 23 o superior y que tengan una media de notas de 3 puntos en el instituto. Sólo el 54% de los graduados de bachillerato de Tennessee fueron a la universidad en 2022, según la Comisión de Educación Superior del estado.

Los datos muestran que uno de cada tres graduados del bachillerato en Tennessee con altas calificaciones A-C-T están optando por ir a la universidad fuera del estado.
Savarese afirma que el Sistema U-T se centra no sólo en el acceso a través de estos nuevos cambios en las admisiones, sino también en la accesibilidad a través de ayuda financiera y ofertas de becas.

"Nuestra Promesa de UT se mejoró recientemente, de modo que cualquier estudiante cuya familia tenga un ingreso inferior a $75,000 pueda asistir a cualquiera de nuestros campus UT, sin pagar matricula ni tarifas," asegura Savarese. "Y también proporcionamos un estipendio de $500 por semestre para cualquier gasto adicional."

Explica que elevar el umbral de ingresos de $60,000 a $75,000 anuales les permite ampliar la beca a dos tercios de las familias de Tennessee.

La Fundación Lumina proporcionó apoyo para este informe.



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Capitol Hill observers said the Trump administration is moving quickly against the federal Department of Education, potentially leaving Virginia schools with a $2.5 billion hole in their budgets.

The Senate confirmed former pro wrestling executive Linda McMahon as the department's secretary this week, a move expected to trigger plans to dismantle the agency. Recent polls show 63% of Americans oppose closing the department.

David Walrod, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, said school districts are worried about the potential loss of funds.

"It would be devastating," Walrod explained. "Here in Virginia the federal government averages 9.8% of dollars that are spent on public education. If a district has a budget of $1 million, then the federal government is providing $98,000 of that. That's a pretty significant chunk."

According to USA Facts, Virginia public schools receive funding from the federal government, a total of $2.5 billion, or $2,038 per student. That's 19.6% below the national average of $2,233.

Walrod pointed out the loss of funds could affect the number of teachers schools can hire, put building improvements on hold and force administrators to decide which programs to keep. He fears the cuts would probably hurt the state's most vulnerable students.

"Most of that money is specifically geared toward students with disabilities," Walrod emphasized. "Students with disabilities can achieve. We know that they deserve the same opportunities that all of their classmates have. But in a lot of cases, those students can be more expensive to educate."

So far, the administration has made cuts to department staff, programs and research but only Congress can officially close the department. Walrod thinks elected officials should visit Virginia classrooms before making a decision.

"I would tell them to go walk through one of our public schools, to step into one of our special education classrooms, step into one of our inclusive classrooms, a generalized classroom that receives special education support," Walrod urged. "I would tell them to just look at the great work that is happening there."

Several hundred protesters marched to the Capitol building in Sacramento on Tuesday, calling for better funding for education.

The event was part of a nationwide day of action sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers.

Stephanie Luna, a student at East Los Angeles Community college, said she supports Assembly Bill 537, which would allow two years of free community college tuition for part-time students. Right now, the College Promise program is only open to people who take a full course load.

"We know that the majority of California community college students are part-time," Luna pointed out. "For the students that have to work or they have to take care of family, they're also deserving of access to a higher education the same way that full-time students are."

Speakers also called for full funding for higher education in the next state budget, currently under negotiation. And with the state and federal budgets in flux, Republicans in Congress are proposing huge cuts to Medicaid. The Trump administration is also threatening to pull federal funding from schools using race as a factor in policy or programming.

James McKeever, president of the American Federation of Teachers 1521 Faculty Guild in Los Angeles and professor of sociology at Pierce College, a community college in the San Fernando Valley, said courses touching on diversity, equity and inclusion are important to a well-rounded education.

"We're really trying to just show that we're teaching an accurate, diverse history," McKeever explained. "Too often, our history books have left out the accomplishments of women, of people of color and queer people. And we want to make sure that those people get remembered and recognized."

Speakers at the march also called on lawmakers to fend off any tuition increases and to prioritize fair compensation and equitable working conditions for campus employees.

Indiana-based Lumina Foundation has set a goal of 75% of U.S. working-age adults having college degrees or valuable credentials by 2040.

The initiative addresses increasing demands for a skilled workforce amid economic changes.

Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, said it aims to enhance affordability, accessibility, flexibility, and alignment with labor market needs in higher education.

"We're facing a fresh set of challenges: rising costs, doubts about job opportunities, and things like the influence of artificial intelligence have caused people to question whether a college degree is really worth it," Merisotis outlined.

The strategy includes reimagining educational and workforce structures to better serve today's students. Lumina will focus on four key areas: ensuring credentials provide real economic benefits, expanding access to quality education, supporting student completion rates, and redesigning education systems for current demands.

Since setting a national attainment goal in 2008, the percentage of U.S. adults with post-high school credentials has grown from 38% to 55%, reflecting significant advancements in educational attainment.

Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, said over the next five years, the foundation will lead investments and improve data collection to monitor progress.

"In the current goal, it's everybody who's 25-64 as our denominator," Brown explained. "Now, we're looking for people just in the labor force, and the labor force includes everyone who is employed, everyone who is unemployed but looking for work and anyone in the armed services."

Lumina aims to meet its 2040 goal through collaborations with educational, governmental and business sectors. This approach underscores the foundation's commitment to enhancing educational outcomes and economic prosperity through higher education.