ONLINE COURSES
Many “some college, no credential” (SCNC) learners face structural barriers to completing their education, including full-time employment, caregiving responsibilities, housing insecurity and prior debt, CHEPP's brief said, and require flexible and accessible learning models.
While overall enrollments are declining ahead of a projected "enrollment cliff" brought on by an aging population, online enrollments are on the rise. According to the NSCRC report, the number of students taking no online courses decreased from 12.87 million to 8.99 million from the 2019-20 academic year to the 2022-23 academic year, while the number of learners enrolled exclusively online increased from 5.72 million to 7.45 million. The report noted that the increase in online enrollments began before the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued since.
Re-enrollment data suggests that SCNC learners are contributing to this trend. In 2022-23, more than 943,000 students in this category returned to higher education, according to NSCRS. The majority re-enrolled at public two-year institutions or primarily online institutions.
“Our students have a lot on their plates. They’re working, they have families, some of them have multiple jobs, they’re in their communities. There's a lot of things competing for their time,” Amy Regan, a student experience product strategist at the university, said. “So, it would add a layer of difficulty, for sure, if we had a specific synchronous requirement.”
The university also offers hybrid and competency-based education programs, which allow students to advance through material as they demonstrate understanding. Lopez said in an email to Government Technology that these models are intended to support learners who are combining education with work, family responsibilities or military service.
“We often hear from students that the flexibility to complete their assignments when and where works for them is the only way they would be able to pursue and obtain their degree,” she wrote.
ASSESSING NEEDS THROUGH CHATBOT QUERIES
In 2022, SNHU began implementing an AI-powered chatbot, Penny, designed to support students and integrate with the university’s advising system. Developed in partnership with educational technology company EdSights, the chatbot provides automated responses to frequently asked questions and sends weekly messages to students based on the academic calendar.
According to Regan, students can ask Penny for resource links, deadline reminders and basic information any time of day, and their input is flagged for follow-up by academic advisers to add a human touch where needed.
Since Penny was implemented, student engagement has increased by 3.8 percent and advisers have increased their call volume by 10 percent, Lopez wrote.
Advisers also monitor Penny’s chats to understand the needs of SCNC learners compared to new students.
“We look at our student population with Penny in two buckets: We look at our new students who are enrolled in their very first term with us, and then our re-enrolls,” Regan said. “So, I'm constantly looking through, ‘What are our new students asking Penny, what do they need?' And that helps me identify trends.”
While SNHU’s scale and capacity may not be replicable at all institutions, its model shows the potential of flexible education options and real-time data to respond to student behavior and sentiment.
“We all do better when learners of all ages have access to higher education and the support they need to achieve their goals,” Lopez wrote. “By expanding access with flexible and affordable pathways, online education has the power to drive equitable outcomes and transform the lives of entire communities who are often overlooked or left behind by higher education.”
