Dive Brief:
- For-profit tech credentialing company Coding Dojo Wednesday announced a scholarship program for more than 35,000 students who were negatively impacted by this week's closure of ITT Technical Institute.
- The swift move backs industry insiders' projections that alternative credentialing providers and bootcamps could be the next generation of for-profit institutions.
- Many of the credits earned at ITT Tech are not transferable to traditional nonprofit institutions, meaning many students are looking for new education options and may have to start from scratch with degree or credentialing programs.
Dive Insight:
The race is on for administrators to strengthen their relationships with corporate partners to ensure post-graduate outcomes in hiring and earnings, and to make sure that degree programs fit within the changing workforce narrative. A former Obama administration official who worked closely with the ITT Tech proceedings told Education Dive earlier this week it is those institutions making an intentional effort to align with industry to promote better jobs outcomes that will escape the wrath of the U.S. Department of Education.
As for for-profit bootcamps, it only makes sense that students who wanted the convenience of online learning transition to programs which can make them work-ready for careers. The million-dollar question, literally, is will these programs establish their own accreditation associations and become the next partners of the federal government to receive federal student aid?
