Lumina’s big goal: To increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025.

Lumina’s Strategic Direction

Lumina’s Mission and Goal

The mission of Lumina Foundation for Education is to expand access and success in education beyond high school, particularly among adults, first-generation college going students, low-income students and students of color. This mission is directed toward a single, overarching big goal – to increase the percentage of Americans with high-quality degrees and credentials¹ to 60 percent by the year 2025.

This goal is a national priority because:

• Higher education² is a prerequisite to success in a knowledge-based society and economy.

• The social and economic opportunities facing our country can best be addressed by educating many more people beyond high school. As we attain the goal, we improve the economy, strengthen civic engagement and reduce the costs of crime, poverty and health care and, in short, improve the human condition.

• Higher education attainment rates among adults, first-generation college-going students, low-income students and students of color are significantly lower than those of other students. This gap has endured for decades and is now widening. This attainment gap is alarming given the country’s demographic trends.

Three critical outcomes lead to achievement of the big goal:

Based on research and experience, Lumina Foundation believes that reaching the Big Goal by 2025 is possible if the nation directs attention to three critical outcomes:

1. Students are prepared academically, financially and socially for success in education beyond high school.
2. Higher education completion rates are improved significantly.
3. Higher education productivity is increased to expand capacity and serve more students.

Measuring Progress

Each critical outcome depends on the achievement of at least one intermediate outcome, described in greater detail on the following pages. By 2013, the Foundation expects to demonstrate progress on its intermediate outcomes. This progress will come as a result of successful execution of the Foundation’s strategies, planned over a four-year period – from 2009 through 2012. The Foundation will develop metrics for each outcome over the short, intermediate and long terms.

Lumina’s Role

As the nation’s largest private foundation focused exclusively on getting more Americans into and through higher education, Lumina has a unique leadership opportunity—and responsibility—to create a national sense of urgency so as to stimulate action in higher education and public policy to achieve the big goal. Lumina Foundation will be a catalyst in America’s pursuit of the goal and the critical outcomes.