Working with States to Align Accreditation & Economic Development
Working in tandem with the National Accreditation Commission (NAC), state policymakers focused on channeling financial aid towards students enrolled in noncredit or non-degree programs have a prime opportunity to fortify the connection between federal and state financial aid. As numerous states strive to understand the return on their investments in short-term noncredit or non-degree programs, they are tasked with identifying and selecting the most effective design features and models to support students.
Achieving these outcomes is possible through the implementation of appropriate accreditation, standards, program eligibility rules, and technology frameworks to ascertain which programs and credentials should be funded. This process entails defining the meaning of quality within the realm of state financial aid and setting up mechanisms for accountability.
Enter NAC with an accreditation strategy that harnesses the power of advanced technology, AI, and ML to monitor, record, and study how these investments will empower states, workers, and businesses to meet their objectives. For the first time in 70 years, accreditation practices can be directly aligned with state funding, and there can be quality oversight of short-term training programs in the following ways:
1. NAC’s accreditation framework will assist states in gathering and analyzing program data to establish inclusive financial aid programs that cater to students who are often overlooked in higher education.
2. NAC’s Accreditation Information Hub (AiHub) will gather data on the demographics of students currently enrolled in non-degree programs and short-term credentials. This information will help determine the eligibility requirements for the students the state aims to assist.
3. NAC’s standards will mandate and monitor the cost of programs and ancillary services and how institutions weave together financial aid to cover all or most of the cost of attendance in accredited short-term programs.
4. The AiHub will continually evaluate the alignment of programs with employer expectations to ensure that state investments align with quality job opportunities and advance economic priorities.
5. NAC’s accreditation framework and AiHub will guide states in directing financial aid toward training programs and stackable credentials that consistently lead to quality jobs and career pathways.
6. NAC’s accreditation model will aim to connect degree, nondegree, and noncredit programs through mandatory credit alignment, transfer assessment, and outcomes tracking.