INSIDE HIGHER ED: College Going Is Changing. We need better Data.

As demand for short-term credentials rises, we need better, more systematic data on the return on investment

May 12, 2023

By  Joe May and Mark Schneider

What it means to go to college is changing. The pandemic dealt a once-in-a-lifetime shock to the system and, even as it ebbs, students haven’t returned to degree programs in the same numbers as before. They won’t anytime soon, according to mounting evidence.

Yet working Americans without college degrees increasingly are seeking out short-term higher education options. National surveys have shown that throughout the pandemic, Americans preferred nondegree programs and short-term skills training to meet their educational and professional needs. These credentials are designed to lead to in-demand jobs in fields like information technology, advanced manufacturing and health care, and to do it quickly—in six, eight or 10 weeks, not years. Popular options include online certificates, apprenticeships and industry credentials.

Would-be students say they want these options and are showing up on college campuses to pursue them. In Indiana, for example, the community college system has seen substantial growth in the number of students taking advantage of the state-funded Workforce Ready Program, which supports students pursuing short-term, work-aligned credentials. Short-term programs also are popular in states like Virginia, Texas and Colorado. And Monty Sullivan, president of Louisiana’s two-year college system, recently told Congress that even as two-year colleges experience declines in traditional degree enrollments, they’re seeing increasing demand for shorter programs. “Students are showing up at our doorstep, in long lines, because they want to be a part of a short-term workforce opportunity that provides that value proposition … that gets them into the workforce in a shortened period of time,” Sullivan said.

People have gotten the message that good jobs—today and in the future—require education beyond high school. But many expect college to look different and be available in shorter bursts. At the same time, the fast-changing economy and tight job market is prodding employers to get more creative in hiring workers. And Congress may soon throw its weight behind shorter education pathways, via bipartisan efforts to create “short-term” Pell Grants to support credentials that can be completed in as little as two months.

Even as Americans are seeking out career-connected education paths, we don’t know enough about which options make good on that promise. The U.S. Department of Education doesn't collect meaningful data on short-term programs, and that makes it difficult for both policy makers and the public to fully understand the return on investment produced by these credentials. To protect both students and taxpayers, it’s essential that the federal government and states gather and share data on the ROI of workforce programs in a systematic way.

Pinning down ROI is a challenge across all of higher education, but it is particularly difficult for short-term and noncredit programs. Organizations like the nonprofit Burning Glass Institute are beginning to track the results and returns of short-term programs for both individuals and employers, as are states like Iowa, Indiana, Texas and Virginia. However, this shouldn’t be scattershot. The federal government needs to begin to establish policies and best practices for collecting these important data on noncredit, nondegree certificates… 

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2023/05/12/college-going-changing-we-need-better-data