
Paul Fain
57 posts
A veteran higher education journalist and analyst, Paul focuses on the connections between education and the American workforce.
How to support low-income students in online programs
The evolving approach of hybrid colleges, which provide in-person coaching and other place-based support, is worth watching.
May 12, 2022
Many certificate programs would fail a proposed earnings test
The policy would compare the wages of program graduates with those of workers with only a high-school diploma.
May 5, 2022
Competing on price
Burck Smith, founder of StraighterLine, on online course provider, remains confident that change is coming to higher ed. A key driver will be big enrollment woes.
April 28, 2022
A key missing partner
If alternative paths to degrees and good jobs are going to work for meaningful numbers of workers, the growing consensus holds that both employers and colleges need to be at the table—often with an intermediary organization.
April 21, 2022
A smoother path to jobs
The pandemic helped show that money is hardly the only reason why lower-income Americans pass up college. Employer-sponsored degrees could help more people decide college is worth the risk.
April 14, 2022
“Sponsored” degrees: money for school in exchange for a work commitment
Deloitte will pay for degrees from ASU and Northeastern for future workers who GetSet Learning will recruit from two-year colleges.
April 7, 2022
Time is a barrier for workers with college benefits
Many people without degrees also had negative experiences in school and often have no desire to resume a formal education.
March 31, 2022
The appeal of course sharing
It can help meet student demand and improve enrollment, particularly for rural community colleges.
March 24, 2022
Bypassing degrees
The group behind a campaign for employers to drop degree requirements now wants to "rewire the labor market" to help those workers land good jobs.
March 17, 2022
Guardrails for opening up Pell Grants to short-term programs
What are effective quality checks that could get enough bipartisan support in Congress?
March 10, 2022