Moving from a Degree-Centric Postsecondary System to an Incremental Credentialing System: What Happens to Learners’ Financing Options?

About

Credential As You Go

Credential As You Go is a movement to develop a nationally adopted incremental credentialing system that improves education and employment outcomes.

LEARNER OUTCOMES

Our Research

Research is key to Credential As You Go to assess the promise of system- and institution-level implementation of incremental credentials.

EXPANSION

Network

In 2023, 30 additional organizations joined Credential As You Go, doubling the numbers of organizations working to design and implement incremental credentials.

INCREMENTAL CREDENTIALING

Improving Education and Employment Outcomes For All Learners

Credential As You Go provides many tools and resources to support the incremental credentialing movement.

TRANSFORMATION

Credential As You Go Video: Transforming the Nation's Credentialing System

Credential As You Go is a movement to develop a nationally adopted incremental credentialing system that improves education and employment outcomes for all. This video provides an overview of this movement.

THE NEED

The Current Landscape of Credentialing

Degree-centric Postsecondary System

Our current system does not recognize partial degrees, leaving many Americans without formal recognition of their knowledge and skills.

Yet, current postsecondary systems are mainly focused on 4 DEGREE TYPES: associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral/professional.

There are 40.4 MILLION individuals still with some college/no credential.

With no credential, people lack recognition of learning – hindering employment and further education

PROCESS

Incremental Credentialing

Incremental credentialing formally captures all types of learning that individuals acquire – in education institutions, in the workplace, or other life experiences.

MOVING THE NEEDLE

To transform the U.S. legacy degree system to a nationally recognized incremental credentialing system, Credential As You Go focuses on ten bodies of work

FRAMEWORK

Incremental Credentialing Framework

The incremental credentialing process formally credentials learning that individuals acquire along the way so that they can be recognized for employment and further education. The six approaches provide ways to develop and implement incremental credentials.

Leadership Organizations

Improving Education and Employment Outcomes