Industry Insights

Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

SEO & Digital Advertising: Jet Fuel for Your Higher Education Marketing Strategy

October 28, 2022

If you were asked what digital channels facilitate your most qualified prospects’ journey to inquiry or application, would you know the answer? It’s no secret that in the last three years, demand for online education has skyrocketed, while the demographics of Professional, Continuing and Online (PCO) education units’ students have evolved. Facilitated by the Great…

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Dr. Anthony Carnevale on the Changing Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood

June 7, 2022

Historical and cultural moments that impacted the evolution of the American education system In a new episode of the MindMaxing podcast series, “Adolescence to Adulthood,” Dr. Anthony Carnevale outlines the political, economic, and social shifts that have made obtaining a college education a necessity—and a challenge—for many students, especially those from lower-income families. As research…

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Four practices to advance equity in online student support

May 6, 2022

Taking a holistic approach to updating DEI practices When you provide a coaching program to online learners across the country, the populations you support are extremely diverse. Different backgrounds. Different cultures. Different ages, socio-economic situations, and life experiences. That’s why, as student supporters in online communities, it’s critical to implement equitable support techniques that serve…

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Reasons Your Website Might Be Preventing Prospective Student Conversions

January 7, 2022

A lot of time and money are invested in your website and marketing tactics to drive traffic to your site. However, if conversions don’t follow, then you’re left wondering if you’re targeting the wrong audiences or if you need to invest more money. Fortunately, the answer is usually “no” – the real issue is often…

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Three Ways to Improve Communication and Increase Student Engagement

September 10, 2021

It’s no secret that COVID-19 disrupted higher education. Overnight, students and instructors shifted from traditional, face-to-face instruction to a fully-virtual model. Student retention was already top-of-mind for college and university administrators. But this sudden shift made the challenge of keeping students engaged even more difficult.   A return to traditional, in-person learning is imminent. But…

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Other Blogs and News:

Pack Light, Go Far: Hiking the Enrollment Trail

There’s a moment from my college days I remember more clearly than any midterm I ever took. I had stepped away from my bachelor’s degree at Penn State because I wanted to live a little. I’d grown up in the same town that I went to college and I just needed an extended reprieve, something…

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Preparing the Workforce for an AI-Driven Economy: An Online and Professional Continuing Education Imperative

Is your online and professional continuing education unit looking for ways to improve job-market outcomes for graduates and alumni? Are you exploring strategies that better align your program portfolio with the skills business and industry leaders say they need both for new hires and for upskilling current employees?  Recent employer data provides a clear signal that high-demand employees are ones with verified AI skills and practical experience. A 2025…

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Workforce Pell Grants: Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking | Policy Matters (December 2025)

Major Updates Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: A Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking: Consensus Reached – What’s in the Draft Regulations We’ve developed a blog that provides a primer and overview of the recent negotiated rulemaking work on Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs, focusing on the first week of sessions held by…

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Workforce Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: A Primer and Update from Negotiated Rulemaking: Consensus Reached – What’s in the Draft Regulations

What Online and Professional Continuing Higher Education Leaders Should Know In early December, the Department of Education kicked off negotiated rulemaking with the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) committee, focusing most of its efforts in the first week on new Workforce Pell regulations and loss of Pell eligibility as…

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The Resilient Local Network: How to Ditch the ‘Best Practice’ Blueprint for Adult Learner Success

The Replication Dilemma Today, higher education leaders face intense pressure: prove the value of credentials, raise attainment rates for adult learners, and do it all on shrinking budgets. We have access to high-leverage frameworks—like integrated student support or the guided pathways model—which identify proven principles for success often derived from successful regional or national initiatives.…

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UPCEA Welcomes New Board and Committee Members for 2026 Terms

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2025 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to announce the election of new officers and new directors to serve on the UPCEA Board of Directors. Elected in November, these individuals will assume their roles at the conclusion of the 2026 UPCEA Annual Conference in New Orleans, La. on…

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