The Role of Course Modality in Dual Enrollment: A brief from the Early College Research Center analyzes student data from North Carolina and found that DE coursetaking grew from 40,000 enrollments in 2014-15 to 140,000 in 2021-22. In addition, the researchers also learned the following:  

• The proportion of DE courses delivered online rose from one-third to two-thirds over the study period. CTE DE courses were far less likely to be delivered online (32%) compared to general education courses (62%).  

• Online CTE DE students earned an average of 13.7 college credits, more than CTE DE students taking courses at their high school or other non-college location (11.5) and CTE DE students taking courses on college campuses (11.2). 

• The completion rate for students who took CTE DE courses in high schools or other non-college locations was 86%, compared to 82% for courses held on a college campus and 75% for courses held online. 

• Regardless of modality, CTE DE students were more likely than the overall high school population to enroll in postsecondary education and earn an undergraduate certificate or associate degree.   

The Role of Policy Design in Free College Programs: An article by Daniel Sparks and Sade Bonilla in Education Finance and Policy analyzes the impact of tuition-free messaging based on Virginia’s Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead (G3) Program. Launched in 2021, G3 offers free tuition for students enrolled in noncredit and credit workforce-aligned programs, including associate degrees and industry certifications. 

The researchers examined the period before and after the implementation of G3 (2016-2023) and found that the number of community college programs eligible for G3 grew by 30% from 2016 to 2021, indicating that colleges sought to align their programming with the initiative. This increase was driven largely by new career-oriented certificate programs in health care, engineering and IT. 

First-time college student enrollment in G3 eligible programs began growing prior to the adoption year, and the proportion of students enrolled in these programs doubled from 2016 to 2023. Low-income and first-generation college students experienced greater enrollment increases in G3 programs compared to other students, and increases were similar across racial/ethnic and age groups.  

Undergraduate Degree Earners: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center recently released new data on undergraduate degree earners in the 2024-25 school year. Major takeaways from the data include the following: 

• In 2024-25, more than 3.4 million students earned an undergraduate credential, a 3.2% increase from the previous year. 

• • 865,400 students (+2.6%) earned an associate degree and 579,400 (+5.7%) earned an undergraduate certificate. Certificates have experienced substantial growth since the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining over 150,000 earners from 2020 to 2025.  

• CTE-related fields experienced the most growth, including mechanic and repair technologies for associate degrees (+10.9%) and construction trades for certificates (+10.5%). 

• About 1.9 million women (+2.7%) and 1.4 million men (+3.2%) earned an undergraduate credential.  

• There were about 52,500 students under 18 who earned a certificate or associate degree, likely dual-enrolled high school students. This population has grown by over 38,000 students in the past decade. 

• Across all credentials, Black students experienced the largest increase (+6.6%), followed by Hispanic (+5.4%), multiracial (+4%) and Asian students (+3.7%). Native American (-2.1%) and white students (-0.4%) experienced small decreases. 

Youth Apprenticeship and Opportunity Youth: A report from New America examines how youth apprenticeship (YA) programs can help opportunity youth (16-to-24 year olds who are neither enrolled in school nor regularly working) develop skills and pursue careers. Drawing on literature and interviews with practitioners and youth apprentices, the report identifies four key recommendations: 

• Increase the number of YA programs: Intermediaries should assist employers in developing programs through training and information sharing that are aligned to fit the needs of specific groups and labor markets. 

• Expand YA access: Youth apprenticeships have traditionally supported high school students, but they should also support 19-to-24 year olds who would benefit from the additional wraparound supports and guidance these programs offer compared to Registered Apprenticeships. Counselors should also be made aware of opportunities, inform youth and offer application guidance.  

• Ensure youth apprentice success: Apprentices should be connected with supports such as bus passes, have flexible scheduling, develop strong work relationships and engage with rigorous and meaningful hands-on training. 

• Strengthen partnerships’ goals, funding and operational practices to maximize inclusiveness: In addition to collaborating with a wide range of partners, programs should also assess data to identify performance gaps, engage with youth when designing programs and leverage funding that can expand opportunities for youth.