Not everyone needs to attend college to achieve their career
goals, but increased federal support of occupational credentialing could be a
viable alternative to the idea of the “free” four-year degrees that has been
making headlines, according to a report from the Progressive Policy Institute
(PPI).
The report proposes making more federal support, such as Pell grants, available to
students in credentialing programs. PPI suggests the move could provide workers
with a debt-free path to the skills needed for economic security because many
of the jobs that require a credential instead of a college degree can pay as
much as $90,000 a year.
“The singleminded focus on college diminishes other
equally viable paths to middle-class security—such as in health care,
information technology, advanced manufacturing, and other skill
professions—that require specialized occupational ‘credentials’ but no
four-year degree,” Anne Kim, a senior fellow at PPI, wrote in the report.
Quality credentialing can also be an alternative for
nontraditional students who have family and job obligations that make the
commitment to full-time student status unrealistic. Credentialing courses often
take just weeks or months to complete, helping workers who have been displaced
get back into jobs and new careers.
The plan would extend student financial aid, including
Pell grants, to high-quality credentialing programs and provide students with
standardized information on the quality and value of credentialing options. The
PPI plan would pay for the program through a new excise tax on elite university
endowments.
