There is substantial variation in the returns to a college degree. One determinant is whether a worker's employment is "matched" with their education. With a novel education-industry crosswalk and panel data on 295,000 graduates, we provide the first estimates of an education-industry match premium leveraging within-person variation in…

In the United States, people often feel like they need to choose between pursuing a conventional four-year college degree or working, leaving millions of people with no opportunity to achieve the professional and economic advancement that comes with a bachelor's degree. What if this is a false choice? Apprenticeship Degrees offer a hybrid option…

The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to investigate the success of students who use transfer articulation agreements to transfer from any of the 13 community colleges in Tennessee to one of the state's public, four-year, locally governed institutions to complete a bachelor's degree. Data were collected from five 4-year public…

This article describes the development of online modules to introduce students to information and resources needed to be successful while pursuing a Bachelors or Masters Degree in social work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). The course was developed by faculty at the University Libraries in collaboration with the Bachelor of…

Many Virginians aspiring to earn a four-year degree intentionally begin their journey at one of the 23 community colleges within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). In concert with those aspirations, the VCCS is committed to providing its residents an affordable and accessible program of study that prepares them to transfer and earn a…

A college degree is increasingly vital for career mobility and economic success as more employers are requiring greater levels of education and credentials. For more than 150 years, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played a leading role in graduating black students and have made significant contributions to the workforce…

This study examines whether the different versions of the OBF policies in Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee had an impact on student outcomes. Different from most previous studies, this study differentiates OBF 1.0 and OBF 2.0 policies and takes into account the variations in state appropriation that are tied to OBF 2.0 policies in examining the…

Community colleges, which often serve a higher proportion of students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and women, can be launching pad institutions that change the educational and economic trajectory for individuals and families, awarding credentials that can lead to better paying jobs or form the foundation for additional…

A sample of predominantly African American psychology major baccalaureates from a historically Black university self-reported job types, salaries, and master's degree completion. For this pre-2009 recession sample, we found that (a) the rates of employment were quite high; (b) most jobs were related to health, mental health, social work, and…

In 2012, five foundations launched the Credit When Its Due (CWID) initiative that was "designed to encourage partnerships of community colleges and universities to significantly expand programs that award associate degrees to transfer students when the student completes the requirements for the associate degree while pursuing a bachelor's…

In January 2010, the General Assembly passed the Complete College Tennessee Act (CCTA), a comprehensive reform agenda seeking to transform public higher education through changes in academic, fiscal and administrative policies at the state and institutional levels. While the higher education landscape has been shaped by the CCTA, higher education…

A number of states have adopted, considered or proposed legislation creating promise programs. These proposals often are viewed as cost-effective strategies to encourage or promote postsecondary enrollment and improve attainment of credentials of value. For our purpose, credentials of value refer to certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's…

In early 1995, the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) sought permission to terminate three existing engineering technology degree programs and replace them with a single Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree. As part of the requirements to proceed with the implementation of an engineering program, the University of Tennessee system…

Navigating the complicated path through college can be a difficult task. The report analyses the problems students have on graduating on time--such as earning unnecessary credits--which costs them collectively billions of dollars and millions of hours each year. It also proposes a possible solution--Guided Pathways to Success (GPS), which can…

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in competency-based degree programs at the postsecondary level. These programs are promising for the future of higher education because they establish clear expectations for what graduates must know and be able to do, and many models have been designed to allow students to learn and earn a degree…