NAC Receives Major Grant to Transform Program Accreditation

NAC is thrilled to announce we’ve been selected as one of fourteen pioneering organizations to receive funding from GitLab Foundation’s AI for Economic Opportunity Fund. This grant will support the development of our groundbreaking AI-enabled Accreditation Information Hub (AIHub), designed to revolutionize quality assurance for noncredit programs.

The initiative, backed by GitLab Foundation, OpenAI, and Ballmer Group, represents a significant step forward in modernizing accreditation processes. Our AIHub platform will combine artificial intelligence with expert human oversight to streamline traditionally manual, time-intensive evaluation procedures. This innovation will help educational institutions and state agencies deploy high-quality, workforce-aligned programs more rapidly than ever before.

“The AIHub platform represents a breakthrough in how we approach accreditation,” says Rebecca Busacca, NAC President. “We’re creating technology that will help evaluate and validate the quality of noncredit programs more efficiently and consistently, ultimately helping high-demand educational opportunities reach learners more quickly in our rapidly evolving economy.”

As part of this initiative, NAC will receive not only funding but also valuable technical expertise, early product access, and AI API credits from GitLab. This support will be instrumental in developing a platform that helps meet pressing economic and labor market demands while maintaining rigorous quality standards.

The AI for Economic Opportunity Fund’s overall investment of $3.5 million across its grantees is expected to generate remarkable returns, potentially unlocking $1.9 billion in increased lifetime earnings for more than 86,000 individuals. This aligns perfectly with NAC’s mission to bridge the gap between education and employment while ensuring program quality and student success.