Shifting student expectations and evolving workforce demands are prompting colleges and universities to rethink traditional higher education learning models in favor of more personalized, flexible educational experiences. That’s why models like competency-based education (CBE) are gaining momentum. In fact, more than 800 higher education professionals gathered in Colorado Springs last week to attend C-BEN’s annual CBExchange event, punctuating the growing excitement and engagement in CBE.
As CBE continues to grow, events like CBExchange offer opportunities for like-minded professionals to come together and explore new strategies, gain new insights, and make new connections. Regent Education was thrilled to be part of this year’s event, sharing our expertise and advice on the important role financial aid plays in supporting CBE programs. Below, we’re sharing a few highlights from this year’s event.
Bridging Academics and Financial Aid for CBE Success
Dr. Laurie Dodge, Vice President of Quality Assurance and Accreditation at Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) and former Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs & Provost of UMass Global and Sharon Clough, Vice President of Financial Aid Compliance at Regent Education, led a compelling discussion on the rollout of CBE at UMass Global. As one of the first institutions to receive accreditation for its direct assessment CBE program, UMass Global set a groundbreaking precedent that required a collaborative partnership between academic leadership and financial aid to ensure the successful rollout of CBE.
This popular session covered a range of critical topics, including:
- The rise of CBE and the implications for financial aid leaders
- Best practices for distributing aid in CBE models (hint, having the right FAM is key!)
- New strategies to help institutions address the unique needs of CBE students, including adult learners, low-income students, and students from underrepresented groups
Regent Education Product Showcase
As CBE continues to grow and become more mainstream, many financial aid departments, constrained by limited budgets, too few resources, and outdated technology, struggle to support nontraditional paths. However, that’s not the case with Regent Education. And during CBExchange, we demonstrated how we do it.
Using Regent Education, institutions can automate financial aid management across all enrollment models, allowing them to:
- Package and repackage financial aid for CBE programs across standard and non-standard terms, subscription periods, and non-term enrollment models
- Reduce manual effort and errors, enabling staff to refocus their time and better support students throughout the financial aid process
- Maximize enrollment by awarding every available dollar
Regent Education Reception
Regent Education welcomed more than 40 enrollment and financial aid leaders to join us for a reception at the Golden Bee at the Broadmoor. The reception was a resounding success, underscoring the power of connection amongst conference attendees. Throughout the reception, participants made new connections by engaging in lively discussions and debates on the best ways to implement and evolve CBE programs. And through the exchange of ideas and innovative strategies, attendees left inspired and equipped with new ideas they could take back to their campuses to help grow and evolve their CBE programs.
Additional CBExchange Highlights
Attendees at CBExchange also explored resources such as CompetentU, a place where institutional leaders can learn how to design and deploy quality CBE programs. And, they heard about the new partnership between 1EdTech Consortium, C-BEN, and Unicon, which aims to “advance the unique needs of competency-based learning through the use of interoperable and open technical standards.”
As CBE continues to take hold, organizations like C-BEN and events like CBExchange will continue to provide valuable opportunities for enrollment and financial aid leaders to network, exchange ideas, and share winning strategies that offer students the personalized, flexible education they desire.
Through solutions that automate financial aid across all enrollment models, including CBE, Regent Education supports higher education institutions as they explore, implement, and grow their CBE programs. If this sounds like you, we’d love to chat about how we can help.