Lumina Foundation supports state policy organizations, initiatives and research that promote student success in postsecondary education. The following reports can inform policymakers as they create sound policies and practices that will lead to a strong U.S. workforce, a high standard of living and a better quality of life for the nation's citizens.

Corporate investments in college readiness, access
A new report indicates that U.S. corporations recognize that they can push for systemic change in college readiness and access. Corporate Investments in College Readiness and Access by the Institute for Higher Education Policy for the Business-Higher Education Forum, examines major corporations' philanthropic support for efforts to increase the likelihood that students will graduate from high school fully prepared to enroll and succeed in college.

Pushing the higher ed envelope for low-income adults
A new policy brief from Jobs for the Future and the National Council for Workforce Education profiles 12 states that are leading policy efforts to improve college access for working adults by expanding, changing, or creating innovative funding programs. Pushing the Envelope: State Policy Innovations in Financing Higher Education for Workers Who Study is part of the Breaking Through initiative to help low-literacy adults prepare for and succeed in college.

Soaring textbook costs spark online alternative
In the past three decades, college textbook prices have increased by nearly three times the rate of inflation. Today, students spend an average of $1,000 annually on printed materials. One alternative promises to save money and trees: digital textbooks. Electronic offerings cost about half of printed textbooks and are easy to customize and update. A new study from Student Public Interest Research Groups offers suggestions on how the digital textbook market can live up to its potential.

The cost of high school dropouts on states
State prosperity begins with an educated workforce. If students who dropped out of the high school Class of 2008 instead earned diplomas, the nation's economy would benefit from an additional $320 billion in wages, taxes, and productivity over these students' lifetimes, according to The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools from the Alliance for Excellent Education.

From foster care to college: Making the transition
For foster-care youth, the road to higher education is often the road less traveled. Seven percent to 13 percent of foster-care students enroll in college; about 2 percent obtain bachelor's degrees, compared to 24 percent of adults in the general population. Supporting Success: Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students from Foster Care by the Casey Family Programs provides a framework to develop programs and practices that encourage foster-care students to prepare for, attend, and complete college.