Dive Brief:
- The American Council on Education is launching its Alternative Credit Project with access to 111 courses offered by nonaccredited providers like edX, JumpCourse, and Pearson Learning Solutions.
- According to eCampus News, 40 colleges and universities have agreed to accept transfer credits from a “large number” of these general education courses, which are low-cost or free for students.
- The program is designed to help nontraditional students graduate from college, and ACE plans to monitor the number of credits each college and university accepts as well as the outcomes of transfer students.
Dive Insight:
The typical college student today can be defined as “nontraditional.” The National Center for Education Statistics defines a nontraditional student as one who has dependents, is a single caregiver, delayed postsecondary enrollment, does not have a traditional high school diploma, is employed full-time, attends school part-time, or is independent of his or her parents for financial aid reasons.
The latest study of such students from NCES, analyzing 2011-12 data, found nearly three-quarters of students fit the bill, matching on at least one characteristic. Whether it is through the acceptance of transfer credits or better services on campus, virtually all colleges must adapt to this “nontraditional” population. They are the new normal.
