Workforce Pell Panel

Workforce Pell Panel

by | Oct 13, 2025 | Innovation, Video

Workforce Pell Panel

The big picture:

Rosemary Lahasky, Vice President of U.S. Government Relations at Pearson, and Mary Jane (MJ) Michalak, Vice President of Government Relations at Ivy Tech Community College, discussed the new Workforce Pell expansion—an historic change allowing Pell Grants to fund short-term, workforce-driven programs beginning next year.

Why it matters:

This expansion modernizes federal financial aid to match the pace of the labor market. By funding 8–15 week credentials in high-demand fields, Workforce Pell can open doors to opportunity for working learners, accelerate completion, and help close critical talent gaps.

Key points:

  • Expanded access: Pell funding will now include short-term programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials in areas like healthcare, IT, and advanced manufacturing.
  • Affordability and speed: Students who once paid out of pocket or took loans can now complete faster and with less debt.
  • Employer alignment: Employers are shifting to skills-based hiring; Workforce Pell connects learning more directly to those needs.
  • Implementation challenge: Colleges and policymakers must get the rulemaking details right for a smooth rollout by July 1, 2026.
  • Bipartisan success: Decades in the making, the policy won broad support across party lines—proof that workforce policy can still unite Congress.

The bottom line:

Leaders expect Workforce Pell to reshape how the U.S. connects education, skills, and opportunity—if implementation maintains speed, quality, and accountability.

October Executive Director Update

October Executive Director Update

by | Oct 10, 2025 | Policy, Video

October Executive Director Update

The big picture

Presidents Forum members convene in Boston on Oct. 23–24 for in-person, strategic discussions on AI and institutional strategy, upcoming Negotiated Rulemaking, national enrollment and funding trends, and Executive Branch priorities for 2025.

Why it matters

Leaders need space to cut through noise and align on student-first action. This meeting is built for direct, president-level problem-solving that translates into campus moves and policy clarity.

What’s new

We’re expanding our collaboration network introduced earlier this year. Partners will be embedded in several Boston sessions to stress-test solutions on technology adoption and workforce readiness.

What’s next

  • Post-Boston brief with actionable takeaways and model practices members can adapt on campus.
  • Continued policy tracking and member input shaping the PF 2025 Policy Agenda.

The bottom line

Boston is a catalyst—not the finish line. The Forum is aligning presidents around bold, student-centered execution that moves from conversation to measurable results.

U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Roundtable

U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Roundtable

by | Sep 19, 2025 | Policy, Video

U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Roundtable

Why it matters:

At a House Education & Workforce Committee roundtable in Utah, Chair Tim Walberg and Higher Education Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens framed Utah’s collaboration culture as a national model for aligning tax policy, school choice, and workforce development.

The big picture:

  • Working Families Tax Cut touted as the largest in U.S. history, with no tax on tips or overtime, bigger child credits, and small business protections.
  • Education reform centered on accountability, Pell expansion for short-term and workforce programs, and caps on grad lending to rein in tuition inflation.
  • School choice momentum spotlighted Utah’s universal ESA program, with private and faith-based leaders underscoring parent-led education.

What they’re saying:

  • Business voices called the tax changes a boost for small employers and frontline workers.
  • Higher ed leaders stressed accountability, completion, and linking credentials to market value.
  • K–12 and private school advocates framed parent choice as essential to student success.
  • Workforce groups emphasized employer-aligned training and short-term credentials.

The bottom line:

Owens and Walberg cast Utah as proof-of-concept for marrying tax relief, school choice, and workforce-driven higher ed – a blueprint they want to scale nationally.

Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

by | Sep 15, 2025 | Outcomes and Accountability

Academic Integrity in the Age of AI

Why it matters:

AI is reshaping higher ed. Leaders are grappling with how to harness innovation while protecting academic integrity.

Key points:

  • Balance, not tradeoffs: Academic integrity and innovation aren’t opposites — they must be integrated into education and technology design.
  • Student impact: Cheating undermines self-competence, risks identity theft, and produces unprepared graduates — a danger for public safety and global competitiveness.
  • Systemic risk: Employers, licensing boards, and society lose trust when degrees don’t reflect real skills.
  • Action in motion: The Credential Integrity Action Alliance (CIAA) is driving reform — creating a model statute to close loopholes, empower institutions to sue cheating companies, and push for stronger laws.
  • Vision ahead: Integrity should be built in by design — much like security and privacy — ensuring students learn responsibly with AI while preparing for the workforce.

The bottom line:

Protecting academic integrity in an AI-driven era requires shared responsibility.

Affordability, Access, and Accountability in Higher Education

Affordability, Access, and Accountability in Higher Education

by | Sep 10, 2025 | Outcomes and Accountability

Affordability, Access, and Accountability in Higher Education

Why it matters:

Affordability is the central barrier to equitable access in higher ed. David Andrews (UMass Global) and Eloy Ortiz Oakley (College Futures Foundation) unpack what’s broken—and what needs to change.

The big picture:

  • More than tuition: Real costs include housing, childcare, transportation, and lost wages.
  • Technology + accountability: AI, automation, and back-office efficiencies can lower costs, but only if institutions are held accountable.
  • Flexible delivery: Learners want 24/7 access. Rigid, brick-and-mortar schedules no longer work.
  • Employers as partners: Skills-based hiring is rising. Companies must help shape and support new education-to-employment pathways.

What’s next:

Both leaders agree; higher ed must redesign around students, not institutions. Flexibility, accountability, and employer engagement will define the next five years.

Bottom line:

Success depends on restoring public confidence by giving learners more agency, transparent value, and clear pathways to opportunity.