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According to the Lumina Foundation, our country falls behind other global nations in producing college graduates. Even though there is a marginal gain in 2007-08, we continue to trail behind says one of their news reports.
 
According to a researcher involved with the above mentioned report, matters could be much worse due to the recent economic disaster and the sluggish revival. This report calls forth to our nation’s higher education community in a strong manner to intensify efforts and get more students to graduate.
 
According to them this is the ideal time for pulling up those who are under-represented in our country and help them graduate. For this the administration must take some bold steps.  First generation students and students of low income, adults and colored students must be encouraged with our redoubled efforts to close the gap.

The Lumina Foundation has pumped in millions into innovative programs to help the under-represented, especially the racial minorities and low income groups to gain access to college education and graduation. One of the largest such foundations, with a single minded focus on uniting America with higher education goals, Lumina Foundation’s “Big Goal Agenda” is emulated by many other prominent organizations and by the Obama administration. 

According to the report it is evident that the minority groups as well as the low income citizens lag significantly as far as graduation rates go. Unless we strive to close the gaps in attainment, it is not possible to enhance graduation rates, says Lumina.

Lumina report is updated every year based on graduation rates and state wise data. The report analyzes in depth progress made by states towards achieving the Big Goal. However, no recommendations are given in this report that does not base its findings on ethnic or racial grouping.

According to Jamie Merisotis, the President of Lumina Foundation, enhanced efforts by schools around the nation to move forward and meet the Big Goal are not hindered by the economic crisis. It should rather be taken as a challenge and as an opportunity. He went on to say that economic crisis is the time when schools can devise methods to get more productive and focus on offering quality higher education with the interest of our nation in mind.

Economic crisis is the time when we get to realize with clarity the innate connection between jobs and higher education. He said that innovative economy is all about using higher education to create jobs for our people.

In order to reach the goal, the first step to be taken by universities, colleges and schools around the country is to cut costs and reallocate resources towards initiating effective programs that can help students attain success, said the Lumina Report. Quality coursework must be delivered through low cost innovative options.

Lumina report reiterates the urgency of the situation and cites an economic analysis conducted by Georgetown University. This analysis concluded that by the year 2018, at last sixty percent of jobs in our country will require workforce that has completed post secondary education.