Features

Why education matters more than ever

Joe Cortright, CEOs for Cities Monday, January 28, 2026

You may think getting a college education is too expensive, and you may be right. But it's not as expensive as the consequences of not getting a college education, according to recent studies about the economic success of degree holders.

How to fix financial aid in 2013

Amy Kuras Monday, January 28, 2026

Today's federal financial aid system was built for yesterday's student. Is it possible to change it during another year of budget cuts and debt ceiling crises? A new report from IHEP is cautiously optimistic.

Collective impact: Cooperation within and between cities

Amy Kuras Monday, December 17, 2025

How cities competing for the Talent Dividend Prize are sharing data, pooling resources, and supporting one another, even amid competition.

Tampa Bay, FL, Akron, OH, Cleveland, OH, Dayton, OH

Q&A;: Brian Payne, President and CEO, Central Indiana Community Foundation

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, December 17, 2025

"Good work ... doesn't come out of a 90-minute committee meeting. You have to create a relationship that's deeper and more enduring."

Indianapolis, IN

The equity and economic educational imperative

Noel Harmon, National Director of the Talent Dividend Monday, December 17, 2025

A new report links equity in education with the future of American economy. Why it's imperative that we listen up and take action.

Q&A;: Michelle Cooper, President, Institute for Higher Education Policy

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, November 19, 2025

Michelle Cooper recommends a three-pronged approach to college completion among minority students: preparedness, affordability, and workforce alignment. Plus, thoughts on what the recent election means for higher ed.

A word from the Director: The pursuit of happiness

No�l Harmon, National Director of the Talent Dividend Monday, November 19, 2025

As we prepare to convene in Philadelphia this spring, we should reflect on the courage of our nation's founders and ask how we can provide true equality for all within our higher education system.

Philadelphia, PA

How, and why, your city should engage with minority students

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, November 19, 2025

We can't reach our local and national goals for college achievement if we don't focus on equity. Luckily, says one leader, building strategies for success among minority populations "isn't rocket science."

Syracuse, NY

Talking seamless transitions

The Civic Commons Monday, November 19, 2025

Who uses dual enrollment programs? Why or why not? Do they work? How do we make them more equitable? An excerpt from our conversation with Tom Lasley of Learn to Earn Dayton.

Dayton, OH

Q&A;: Susan Johnson, Lumina Foundation

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, October 22, 2025

Susan Johnson, Program Officer for the Lumina Foundation, talks about efforts to improve college success across the pipeline, from K-12 and earlier to adults over 50, all with the aim of increasing the percentage of degree holders nationwide to 60% by 2025.

The possibilities of college success

Marty Levine Monday, October 22, 2025

From aligning curricula to waiving parking fees, how cities, higher ed institutions, and national foundations are helping students realize the dream of college achievement.

Boston, MA

The economics of higher ed: Why college is still a worthwhile investment

Catherine Bittar, CEOs for Cities Monday, October 22, 2025

Skeptics are quick to claim that the "college bubble" is about to burst. But these claims are based on misconceptions about the benefits of postsecondary education and, more significantly, the costs of attending college.

Q&A;: Greg Darnieder, Senior Advisor to the Secretary on the College Access Initiative, Dept. of Ed.

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, September 24, 2025

Greg Darnieder, Senior Advisor to Secretary Arne Duncan on College Access, wants cities participating in the Talent Dividend to know this: You can make an impact.

Boston, MA, Chicago, IL

A word from the Director

No�l Harmon, National Director of the Talent Dividend Monday, September 24, 2025

Where the Talent Dividend Network has been since July and where we're headed next.

What's working in college access?

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, September 24, 2025

As efforts to improve college access expand to improve college success, too, we look at what's working in Michigan and San Antonio, and where we hope to be as a nation in the next ten years.

Detroit, MI, Grand Rapids, MI