Reframe your addressable market from 15 million to 200 million learners
Jim Fong's core argument is blunt: US institutions are competing over roughly 15.1 million traditional-age students, and that pool is shrinking. Shift the lens to 200 million+ adults with or without degrees (or the 40.4 million "some college, no degree" population), and the enrollment deficit largely disappears. Institutions serious about growth need to operationalize this shift by building program portfolios, marketing, and admissions processes that actually serve adult learners.
Audit whether your employer partnerships are genuine or ceremonial
UPCEA surveyed 537 employers and found consistent confusion around credential terminology. But the deeper problem is that most university "employer partnerships" don't hold up on inspection. As Fong put it, when you drill down, the relationships usually trace back to advisory boards stacked with alumni and donors rather than practitioners co-developing curriculum. Ask your team: are employers shaping what you teach, or signing their names to a board roster? The honest answer determines how much credibility your credential programs carry.
Build stackable pathways so learners don't face an all-or-nothing choice
The 120-credit bachelor's degree isn't dead, but it's losing its monopoly on credentialing. Fong's recommendation is to unbundle it: stack certificates and microcredentials that carry credit value toward a full degree. This lets working adults build skills incrementally, re-engage with education without abandoning employment, and accumulate a credential portfolio that's readable to both employers and transfer institutions.
Score your own website against learner needs, not institutional priorities
UPCEA and Search Influence scored 100 member institution websites at an average of 56.8 out of 100, finding that most sites are built around the institution's structure rather than the prospective learner's questions. Enrollment teams should run a learner-centered audit: does your program page answer what a 35-year-old career-changer actually wants to know (cost, time commitment, employment outcomes) before asking them to request information?
Plan for ATS recognition as a transitional problem, not a permanent barrier
Applicant tracking systems don't consistently read digital badges or non-degree certificates today, and that's a real friction point. But Fong's take is that this is time-bound. Millennial managers are already more open to credentials earned online, and as that cohort moves into hiring authority, institutional skepticism toward microcredentials will soften. Don't let a transitional infrastructure gap become the reason your institution avoids building credential programs.
Use your quality brand to compete where boot camps and platforms can't
Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and coding boot camps can produce certificates quickly. What they can't easily replicate is the regional accreditation, quality assurance infrastructure, and institutional credibility that universities carry. Fong's argument is that this brand advantage is transferable to microcredentials, but only if institutions actually build the programs. Sitting on the sideline doesn't protect that advantage; it just gives ground to platforms with better learner-centered UX.
Certificate pathways are an equity strategy, not just an enrollment strategy
Fall 2023 National Student Clearinghouse data showed that undergraduate enrollment growth was driven by community college entrants and certificate holders. Research also shows that people of color and low-income learners engage with higher education more through certificate pathways than through traditional degree entry. If your institution hasn't built accessible, stackable certificate programs, it's not just leaving enrollment on the table. It's underserving the populations most likely to benefit from what you offer.
