UPCEA Updates

Your one-stop shop for the latest Association happenings, plus thoughts from the desk of CEO Bob Hansen.

Employers Partnering to Provide Microcredential and Training Programs on the Rise, New Study From UPCEA and Collegis Education Reveals

By UPCEA | January 23, 2024

Opportunities are growing, but higher ed institutions are losing ground to private providers WASHINGTON, DC (January 23, 2024) — Companies partnering externally to provide training or professional development to employees increased by 26 percent (nearly 15 percentage points) between 2022 and 2023, according to a new study released today by Collegis Education and UPCEA, the…

Short-Term Credentials Are Booming in Texas. Are Employers Hiring? (Work Shift)

By UPCEA | January 12, 2024

In Texas, money is flowing for short-term credentials. The state’s new funding formula, signed by the governor in June, is allocating dollars to community colleges in part based on how many credentials of value they award.  It would appear that there is no better time to invest in alternative credentials. Interest rates on student loans…

Report: Microcredentials Not a Strategic Priority for Many Colleges (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | January 10, 2024

While the majority of colleges focused on online, professional and continuing education have embraced alternative credentials, a significant number of those institutions haven’t made them a strategic priority. That’s one of the key takeaways from a new study released Monday by UPCEA, the online and professional education association.  “While a lot of institutions want this, they…

New Research: UPCEA Reveals Key Findings on Alternative Credentials

By UPCEA | January 8, 2024

UPCEA shares business and program model insights in grant-funded study WASHINGTON (January 8, 2024) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is proud to share findings and takeaways from a new research study, Alternative Credentials: Business and Program Models. The research, supported by a grant from Walmart, is part of UPCEA’s “Building Capacity, Expanding…

UPCEA Welcomes New Board and Committee Members

By UPCEA | December 7, 2023

WASHINGTON, December  7, 2023 – 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 2024 UPCEA Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts on March…

UPCEA Releases 2024 Predictions for Online & Professional Education

By UPCEA | December 4, 2023

The maturation of online learning, the explosion of AI, the continuing declines in enrollment, and the rise in the importance of ROI, for students and institutions – these are among the converging factors that are shaking up the status quo in higher education. In this environment, online and professional continuing education is poised to play…

UPCEA Unveils Top Predictions for Online and Professional Education in 2024

By UPCEA | December 4, 2023

UPCEA’s experts explore the explosion of AI, maturation of online learning, enrollment declines and other factors impacting the future of higher ed. WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 4, 2023) – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, today released its Predictions 2024: Insights for Online and Professional Education. In this report, UPCEA’s experts provide insights that bring…

Can Microcredentials Bring Stop-Outs Back to College? (Inside Higher Ed)

By UPCEA | November 6, 2023

A recent survey of students who stopped out of college suggests that giving them the opportunity to earn microcredentials and academic credit for prior learning could lure them back to higher ed. The survey of roughly 1,100 former students ages 18 to 64 was conducted in June by StraighterLine, an online course provider, and UPCEA, an…

Other Blogs and News:

UPCEA Announces 2026 Association Award Recipients

9 Individuals and 6 Programs Receive Association’s Highest Honors WASHINGTON, February 9, 2026 – UPCEA, the online and professional education association, has announced the recipients of the 2026 Association Awards. The UPCEA Association Awards program includes recognition of both individual and institutional achievement across the UPCEA membership. Since 1953, UPCEA has recognized its members’ outstanding…

UPCEA Congratulates Members Recognized in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Ranking of Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

Nineteen of the twenty-three Top 20 Ranked Institutions are UPCEA Members WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 5, 2026) — UPCEA, the online and professional education association, is pleased to congratulate the many UPCEA members recognized in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings. U.S. News rankings include nearly 1,850 online programs, covering bachelor’s…

New Research Highlights a Disconnect Between University Retention Strategies and Adult Learner Priorities

National study from Collegis Education and UPCEA highlights opportunity for institutions to strengthen student persistence through better alignment of strategy, systems, and support WASHINGTON, D.C. and CHICAGO, IL – February 4, 2026 — ​​ As adult learners account for a growing share of higher education enrollment, colleges and universities face increasing pressure to sustain persistence in…

When Institutions Shop Themselves: What We Learn—and Often Miss

As my retirement last year eases into a stage of semi-retirement or what some have labeled as “micro-retirement,” I have had eight months of reflection on my nearly four decades of doing research. After a few months of total abstention, I could no longer keep myself away from the higher education field that I so loved. I slowly eased myself back in by…

Institutional Adoption of Microcredentials Plateaus as Workforce Focus Accelerates, New Study Finds

New study from UPCEA, The EvoLLLution, and Modern Campus highlights the growing importance of strategic alignment to sustain credential innovation TORONTO and WASHINGTON, D.C., February 3, 2026 — Higher education leaders continue to recognize the value of microcredentials for workforce development and professional advancement, but institutional adoption and perceived fiscal impact have stalled, according to…

Consensus Achieved on New Accountability Metrics at AHEAD Negotiated Rulemaking | Policy Matters (January 2026)

Major Updates Education Department AHEAD Negotiated Rulemaking Wraps Up; Consensus Achieved on New Accountability Metrics The Department of Education’s AHEAD negotiated rulemaking committee has now wrapped its winter work with consensus language on the program accountability portion, following the committee’s earlier consensus on Workforce Pell regulatory text. Now that consensus has been reached, ED is…