Institutions must begin preparing now for 2026 implementation. On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), a sweeping legislative package that reshapes federal student aid and accountability policy. Among many consequential provisions for higher education is the creation of Workforce Pell, which will extend Pell Grant eligibility to some short-term,…
Read MoreIntroduction Enrollment managers face a paradox: students demand personalized service, yet resources are shrinking. While AI is exciting, it is also an expensive endeavor for enrollment management divisions already stretched by staffing and resource challenges. Traditional methods—manual file reviews, siloed systems, and lagging indicators—simply can’t keep up. The solution lies in determining how to leverage…
Read MoreAn artifact of the race to the top in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is that mistakes inevitably occur in refining the models that are under continuous development. One of those many mistakes apparently led to hallucinations in outputs. We all are witness to the incredibly frenetic race to develop AI tools that publicly kicked off on…
Read MoreUniversity budgets across the country are broken. Overall revenue and accumulated financial support appear to be declining at most universities for a wide variety of reasons. New funding policies, administrative reorganizations such as those at the Department of Education, lean fiscal times for states, diminished regard for higher learning, fewer requirements for degrees among employers…
Read MoreSeeking Tech Antidotes for Enrollment Cliff (Inside Higher Ed)
A looming enrollment cliff—expected to bring a massive dip in traditional-aged students—cast a shadow over conversations at the annual UPCEA conference last week. But many attendees at the online education–focused event in Boston sought to brighten the mood with solutions and tactics that included embracing artificial intelligence and pursuing personalized learning bolstered by microcredentials. “We’re…
Neg Reg on State Authorization, Distance Ed, Accreditation and Other Topics Fails to Reach Consensus, ED to Write Significant Changes | Policy Matters (March 2024)
Major Updates Negotiated Rulemaking Does Not Reach Consensus on Distance Education, State Authorization, Accreditation, and Other Topics The recent session of negotiated rulemaking at the Department of Education on Program Integrity and Institutional Quality concluded without reaching a consensus on several pivotal Issue Papers. The discussions were marred by considerable disagreement on key topics such…
Online Continuing Ed Programs See Improved Staffing but Problems Remain (Inside Higher Ed)
Online continuing education programs saw improved staffing and increased support from institutional leadership in the last year, but still face many challenges, according to a new report released Tuesday. The “State of Continuing Education 2024” from UPCEA, the organization previously known as the University Professional and Continuing Education Association, found that 45 percent of respondents said they have…
UPCEA Brand Evolution in an Era of Change
The pandemic upheaval forced rapid adaptation across campuses, accelerating the digital transformation that had been underway for decades. Online and professional education is at the forefront of this transformation, addressing strategic questions about business models and learner needs. In this ever-evolving landscape of higher education, adaptation isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity. UPCEA recognized…
We are pleased to share the foreword by UPCEA CEO Bob Hansen from the newly released Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook: A Framework for Strategy and Practice in Higher Education. The guidebook, now available from Routledge in paperback, hardback, and eBook formats, provides a comprehensive framework for today’s online learning leaders. Learn more and purchase…
Read MoreOver the last three years, UPCEA engaged in an innovative partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to enable the latter’s Distance Teaching and Learning (DT&L) conference to continue under UPCEA’s leadership. The partnership’s goals included making this valuable event for the distance learning community more sustainable and accessible to online practitioners focused on teaching and…
Read MoreInnovation attracts attention, and not all of it good. Protecting data, students, and credibility now means securing every AI experiment before it secures you. The Bright Side, and the Blind Spots, of AI in Higher Ed AI is higher ed’s new favorite partner and, like any power couple, it comes with complications. It’s rewriting…
Read MoreIs your institution ready to deliver, comply, and compete? This update is intended to highlight key portions of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that affect colleges and universities. The goal is not to offer opinion, but to bring clarity around the law’s implications—especially the arrival of Workforce Pell. The OBBB is a broad, multi-issue…
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