Industry Insights

Valuable insights from UPCEA's trusted corporate partners.

Transforming Prospective Student Engagement through Data-Driven Insights

August 23, 2024

A Funny Thing About Humans Information gathering is a universal behavior. Living creatures of all varieties gather information about their environment in order to thrive within it. But we humans take information gathering to a new level. Curiosity. We seek to learn, not just to survive, but to understand. This thirst for knowledge has led…

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Universities and Extended Credentials

August 8, 2024

Traditional higher ed has largely forgone the growing lifelong learning market. In its place, the space has been filled by providers who describe their programs as alternative credentials.  But alternative is a misnomer. Certificate programs are not an alternative to degree programs; the great majority of people earning them already have their bachelor’s degrees. What…

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Drive Success: Using Recruitment SEO to Fill Higher Education Seats

July 2, 2024

  Higher education marketing teams face a critical challenge: adapting to how learners now discover and explore educational programs. From the first touchpoint to application completion, marketers must ensure a seamless experience for prospective students and maintain their presence throughout the enrollment funnel. This makes recruitment SEO more important now than ever before. With fewer…

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Future-Focused: Laying the Groundwork for Student Success with an Effective Orientation

July 1, 2024

Butler University has long been recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality education and fostering the development of well-rounded professionals. The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program has been a cornerstone of the university’s academic offerings for decades. Through a continuous commitment to improvement, Butler has embraced innovative approaches to ensure its offerings remain relevant and…

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5 Strategies for Online Growth: New Insights from a Survey of Students

June 10, 2024

In a new national study of the preferences and expectations of online students, RNL has identified five interconnected strategies that institutions must have in place at the core of their growth strategy. The data are drawn from a survey of 1,500 prospective and current online students administered just two months ago.    The survey asked students…

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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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