It is a bipartisan effort with good intentions. But will those good intentions lead to positive impact? The signs point to no.
Lawmakers are rushing to address the country’s workforce gaps by investing in the short-term college certificates to help young people enter the job market more quickly. The proposal has been introduced as the JOBS Act and the House Democrats’ College Affordability Act, and proposed by the Trump administration. It would allow Pell Grants for programs as short as eight weeks.
Short term Pell Grants are the latest in a series of educational policies that promise added benefits but on closer inspection often miss the mark of providing a good education at a good value.
New America’s policy brief deep dives into the potential shortcomings of micro credentialing for students seeking programs that will prepare them for successful careers as well as taxpayers who may be paying into an inefficient program that has long-term adverse effects on access to college.
