| The proliferation of non-traditional education providers changed the landscape of higher education. New groups such as online certification bodies and tech start-up boot camps entered the postsecondary education scene, challenging traditional pathways to higher education. Participants in these new programs were often ineligible for federal financial aid, and the institutions themselves were not subject to quality assurance or accreditation standards. In response to this, the Department of Education launched the Educational Quality through Innovative Partnerships program (EQUIP), which expanded federal financial aid to selected colleges and universities that collaborate with non-traditional education providers. The EQUIP program sought to increase student access; ensure successful student outcomes; establish new metrics for measuring quality in postsecondary education; and offer more fiscally responsible financial aid packages to students. The purpose of this study was to understand the rationale behind the EQUIP program, the circumstances that led to its development, and the motivations of stakeholders from three selected EQUIP sites. The researcher interviewed 17 individuals involved in EQUIP, including higher education administrators, employees from non-traditional education providers, representatives from quality assurance entities, and individuals from the White House and Department of Education. The author identified recurring themes such as mission drift, ambiguous definitions of quality assurance, calls for improvement in accreditation processes, and the need for program accountability. This multi-site case study of EQUIP offers insight into how participating institutions intend to implement their programs, underscores some of the organizational challenges these partnerships may face, and questions how the EQUIP sites intend to deliver proposed goals. |
