Feature Article
The Hidden College:
Noncredit Education in the United States
Participation in learning is setting new records, and recent trends suggest that even greater participation is to come. Unfortunately, a very large slice of the learning marketplace operates beyond the view of public policy; noncredit programs operating under the aegis of traditional higher education institutions. These programs purportedly serve millions of learners each year, but no one knows their full scope. No national data have existed that trace the types of noncredit programs that attract learners or their enrollments. Much is missing in this dialog, so much so that we label this phenomenon the "Hidden College". read article »
The topic of cost of instruction is sometimes overlooked in the broader context of discussions
about affordability, cost, price, and the economics and finance of higher education. There
is, however, a distinct though relatively small knowledge base of literature and research about
cost of instruction.