Resources

Report

The Costs of Today’s College Credit Transfer System for Learners and the Mindsets and Practices That Reduce Them

May 15, 2024

Transfer and credit for prior learning (CPL) offer great potential to reduce costs and improve equitable access to the many benefits of a college degree. This paper looks at the issue of the cost of credit transfer three different ways. First, it identifies the barriers related to lost credits and the transfer of credit process, then translates those barriers and their impact into the costs learners incur. Second, it presents three case studies where institutions are creating learner friendly transfer processes, including an examination of transfer data at SNHU. Finally, the paper shares the stories of three transfer students to illustrate their priorities, their challenges, and what they found most impactful in supporting them to reengage in higher education and complete their degree.

Letter

Public Comment Letter Regarding National Apprenticeship System Enhancements

March 18, 2024

CHEPP, the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), and the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) submitted the following public comment letter to the US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration Request for Information (RFI) on National Apprenticeship System Enhancements. The letter opposes the proposed elimination of the Competency-Based approach to Apprenticeship on-the-job training requirements. The letter shares how this change will negatively impact ongoing growth of apprenticeships into more sectors, particularly in occupations not traditionally served by apprenticeships, including education. It also explains how prioritizing time instead of mastery of skills or content impedes the ability for training programs to act nimbly and limits the ability to rapidly update programs that must respond to changing workforce needs.

Report

Online by Design: How Learner-Centered Higher Education Design And Delivery Accelerates Equitable Access And Outcomes

January 25, 2024

As a growing number of learners seek out flexible, online educational programs, it is more important than ever that higher education policy is informed by, and responding to, the needs of its learners. The latest CHEPP white paper offers a first-of-its kind framework for the systems design of online higher education programs, focused on helping learners from all backgrounds access and succeed in postsecondary education.

Issue Brief

Does Basic Needs Funding Improve Persistence Among College Students? Findings on How HEERF Dollars Impacted Student Persistence at SNHU

October 17, 2023

In this paper, CHEPP releases findings on the impact of HEERF dollars distributed during the pandemic at SNHU on student persistence. It finds that students were nearly 15% more likely to stay enrolled in the next semester if they received basic needs support. These findings suggest there is a tremendous opportunity to help today’s learners persist and succeed by offering broad basic needs support nationally. According to a 2019-20 survey conducted by the National Postsecondary Student Aid (NPSAS), nearly a quarter of surveyed students reported low or very low food security and eight percent reported experiencing homelessness in the prior month. As policymakers consider how federal policy can support learner success, funding greater basic needs supports appears to be critical to keeping learners enrolled and advancing social and economic mobility.