Americans' confidence in major U.S. institutions - including higher education - has fallen in recent years, and Texas is trying to win it back.

About 66,000 fewer Texas students enrolled at colleges and universities in Fall 2022 than before the COVID-19 pandemic. One theory is that an increase in high-paying jobs has left many Texans wondering if a college degree is worth the cost.

Harrison Keller, commissioner and chief executive at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, said the country's needs have changed - and institutions need to adapt.

"This is a time in American history when the design of most of these institutions doesn't align very well with the needs of our workforce and the needs of our population," he said, "so there's a disconnect there."

A recent Gallup poll showed Americans' confidence in higher education has dropped to 36%, sharply lower than 57% in 2015. It also found confidence in 16 other institutions has fallen in recent years. But as the economy continues to change, Keller contended that more jobs will require credentials beyond a high school diploma.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is promoting a strategic plan - "Building A Talent Strong Texas" - to address how the state is investing in community colleges and structuring new financial-aid opportunities.

Keller said he believes that, going forward, people must be prepared to rescale and upscale their job skills.

"Over the course of someone's career, they may cycle in and out of higher education, and pick up additional kinds of training and certificates, and skills," he said. "Some of this you do online, and some of it you do in person."

Keller cited a report from the Texas Workforce Commission that showed about 90% of new jobs will require education and training beyond high school.

"So, the question shouldn't be whether you should go to college," he said. "The question should be, 'What sort of college should you go to?'"

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

Gov. Jared Polis has designated seven Colorado colleges and universities as Career Connected Campuses for their work getting more students from all parts of the state and backgrounds ready for high-demand, good-paying jobs driving the state's economy.

Gillian McKnight-Tutein, senior educational equity officer for the Colorado Department of Higher Education, said the schools have prioritized practical skills for students.

"They are committed to the professional development and career readiness, while those students are in the classroom," McKnight-Tutein explained.

In Colorado, 75% of all jobs, and 94% of top jobs paying enough to sustain a family, require some form of education beyond high school. But just 50% of high school grads are pursuing postsecondary education. The schools receiving the first-ever designation are Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, the online Colorado State University Global, Pueblo Community College, Regis University, Colorado University-Denver, and the University of Denver.

The state has been working to remove cost as a barrier for students and many certificate and degree programs are zero-tuition. McKnight-Tutein pointed out more schools are helping students who cannot afford to take time off work by helping them get jobs that also count toward academic requirements.

"There are scholarships. The costs are defrayed, but for the apprenticeship situation, those jobs actually pay," McKnight-Tutein noted. "They're actually making money before graduation."

The new designation reinforces the agency's Social Determinants of Student Success initiative which, as McKnight-Tutein added, works to ensure that students' basic needs such as food, shelter and health care are met, so students can stay in school.

"Because we know that it's not just about them getting there," McKnight-Tutein stressed. "It's about them being able to sustain their lives. Financially, they have families that they need to take care of sometimes. So we want to make sure that all those supports are around them."


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As winter break approaches, Alabama's Summer Adventures in Learning program is encouraging parents to think ahead to summer, particularly as quality summer learning options continue to shrink across the nation.

SAIL emphasized access to strong summer programs can have a meaningful effect on students, especially in preventing learning setbacks.

Suzy Harris, program manager for Summer Adventures in Learning, said early planning could help families secure a spot in programs designed to support students' academic and social growth over the summer.

"Under-resourced youths in particular are affected by summer learning loss at a higher degree," Harris explained. "Because they don't have the access to going on trips or going to minicamp at a museum, or going to the library regularly."

In Alabama, SAIL programs provided reading and math instruction to more than 2,300 students this past summer, combining academics with recreational activities to keep students engaged. For many families, the programs also addressed gaps in summer resources when it comes to meals and access to other educational opportunities.

Harris noted the program benefits teachers too, giving them the freedom to be creative and adapt lessons to meet students' specific needs. The flexibility creates a more engaging and effective learning environment over the summer.

"Teachers have the opportunity to experiment with how they're teaching and with new lesson plans," Harris pointed out. "They don't have the burden of all the extra paperwork and they can have fun in how they're doing lessons."

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly half of public schools offer summer school programs, primarily aimed at helping students with remedial learning or credit recovery. However, fewer schools, around 20 %, provide broader summer recreation programs, which include activities such as sports, games and youth development.

Among schools providing summer classes, 23% report staffing shortages, limiting their ability to accommodate all interested or at-risk students.


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Librarians in Connecticut and nationwide are worried about the ramifications of Donald Trump's second term as president.

Some are concerned elements of Project 2025, such as ending federal funding for state and public libraries, will be part of his policy agenda. Trump repeatedly tried to slash such funding during his first term.

Peter Bromberg, associate director of the advocacy group EveryLibrary, found another element of shifting policies is censorship by labeling books as pornographic. He noted the word "pornographic" is a stand-in for a book having LGBTQ+ material.

"What is getting banned as pornographic are mainstream books, are classic books, or award-winning books," Bromberg explained. "Even picture books like 'And Tango Makes Three', 'Heather Has Two Mommies', or a biography of Billie Jean King that's a picture book that's age-appropriate but it mentions that she's a gay woman."

The politicization of libraries has only grown since Trump left office. Book bans have peaked in recent years. Connecticut saw 113 books targeted in 2023, with most books involving LGBTQ+ content. A General Assembly bill was created to reduce the power of school and library boards to restrict books in response to some boards doing so. The bill received mixed reactions at a public hearing and failed to make it out of committee.

However, book bans are not highly favored despite ongoing increases. An American Library Association survey showed most voters support librarians' authority over what is on the shelves. Other polls showed political candidates favoring book bans are unlikely to be supported.

Bromberg stressed partisan divisiveness has only made the problem snowball.

"Once groups are formed and money starts coming in to fund these types of political projects, and I think as we've seen, as we continue to see, people's anger and people's distrust and people's fear can be weaponized and can be hijacked towards political ends," Bromberg emphasized.

Other means of censoring libraries are growing, too. Numerous state bills criminalizing libraries and charging librarians with crimes for allowing children to take out certain books have been introduced.


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