This brief describes work done by RAND Education and Labor and the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor and documented in "Stackable Credential Pipelines and Equity for Low-Income Individuals: Evidence from Colorado and Ohio. Research Report. RR-A2484-1" [ED627835]. The brief…

The Higher Education Standards Framework 2021 and the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) set out requirements for recognition of prior learning (RPL) and granting credit in the higher education sector. Credit is a recognition of equivalence in content and learning outcomes between different types of learning and/or qualifications. Credit can…

Today's postsecondary students accumulate college credit and other validated learning experiences from more sources and in more forms than ever before. As credit accumulation options have proliferated, student mobility patterns have also shifted and are now increasingly multi-directional, crossing institutional types, system and state boundaries,…

This paper describes current trends and issues in implementing micro-credentials. The COVID-19 epidemic, combined with the increasing cost of higher education; employer concerns about graduate skills and competencies; increasing inequities in access; and student frustrations about lack of job opportunities have all been a catalyst for…

Reforming general education is challenging for institutions due to inertia, institutional politics, budgets, and structural barriers. Oregon State University recently adopted a new structure for its general education curriculum that increases access to high-impact practices, decreases overall credit hours in general education, and links directly…

As state leaders across the country seek strategies that will drive progress toward their postsecondary attainment goals, many have used data to analyze the current attainment levels of different segments of the state's residents. Reverse Transfer, sometimes referred to as degree reclamation, is a policy strategy that can be used to aggregate the…

This new TICAS (The Institute for College Access & Success) brief explores how the punitive consequences of defaulting on student debt can perversely make it harder for struggling borrowers to return to school and regain their financial footing, even though graduating from college will make it easier to repay their loans. The brief includes…

At least 36 million adults in the United States have earned some postsecondary education credit without obtaining a credential. Research suggests these adults, are often referred to as those with some college, but no degree, are well worth the investments needed to help them return and complete their education. Adults in this population frequently…

Increasingly, obtaining a job that pays family-sustaining wages means getting a college degree or other postsecondary credential. However, according to the 2021 U.S. Census, only 31.5 percent of Texans ages 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)--the highest authority in the state…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a study that examined whether professional development incentives for the Oregon early childhood education (ECE) workforce members increased career lattice sign-up and increased education and training levels or workplace retention. This study used two randomized controlled trials in 2018 and 2019 to…

In response to local districts' needs for certified teachers with community roots who understand local schools and students, the authors developed an innovative alternative route for paraprofessionals based on a traditional bachelor's program. Their goals were to provide a rigorous, research-based program that allows paraprofessionals to get a…

The global nature of the modern business world has expanded the set of skills and attitudes necessary for success, even among new bachelor degree graduates. Although US business schools have primarily integrated international concepts through their curricula, students who stay at their home institutions for their entire degree programs do not live…

Social demand for higher education has more than doubled in the past 20 years. However, only one-third of all countries' higher education systems are enrolling more than 50% of the traditional age cohort. Despite major advancements in achieving higher levels of access and participation, inequalities and inequities in higher education persist and…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) are central to the economic strength and social mobility of California and its residents. They serve the majority of undergraduates in California. Each year, over 2 million students attend one of the 116 community colleges across the state, including the online campus--Cal Bright. Like "Chutes and…

In the discourse on diversity in colleges and universities in the United States, an often-neglected population is nontraditional adult learners. This article explores this invisible aspect of undergraduate diversity, and addresses how competence-based education, which focuses on demonstrating the actual ability "to do," is an innovative…