As college gets more expensive and wages for computer programmers skyrocket, more people are turning to intense coding bootcamps and online course providers to improve their job prospects without getting buried under debt. And they might get some unexpected funding help soon: The Department of Education is planning to experiment with letting students use Pell Grants to pay for these alternative programs, according to to the Chronicle of Higher Education (paywall).
The initial pilot project would let colleges contract programs out to ed-tech startups and coding schools, while retaining eligibility for federal grant and loan programs. It could end up opening funding up to many more non-traditional educators, Kelly Field writes. Currently, colleges can’t outsource more than a quarter of their instruction.
The biggest question surrounding the planned experiment is how accreditation will be handled. To start, the program would be limited to partnerships with accredited universities. The DOE is bringing schools, startups, and accreditors together on July 30th to work on quality control.
The availability of government funding could lead online providers to develop more comprehensive courses, and universities to take more chances. The program would be a big help to those exploring alternative programs, considering some bootcamps can cost more than $10,000 for a few weeks of instruction, and that highly tailored and independently verified courses are getting more expensive.
Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) providers in particular haven’t fully demonstrated that they’re a viable substitute for a more traditional education. They’re generally taken by the well educated and employed looking to supplement their skills, rather than by students who can’t access more expensive education.
These providers have increasingly shifted away from broad education programs, and towards narrow mini-degrees aimed at employers, who still question their quality.
In the absence of support or direct contact with professors, it’s hard to make sure students are getting a good grasp of material. One of the highest profile efforts to outsource teaching to an online provider by San Diego State was a massive failure. And that was on a more limited basis than would be allowed by this experiment.
As for coding bootcamps, some have backed off (paywall) their once spectacular job claims, and many observers remain skeptical that you can learn enough to be job-ready. While a few extremely selective schools have been successful at placing students in jobs, many graduates of these schools have been unable (paywall) to find work as programmers.
The ones that report eye-popping job placement stats tend to pick people who already have something like a four year degree, a math background, or strong work experience. These types of people are more likely to pick things up in an intensive program.
Many of these providers are for profit, and for profit education has a somewhat spotty history when it comes to dependence on federal aid and getting people jobs after graduation.
At its best, the program could help decrease the price of education, and even deliver better material to students at more marginal institutions. But it could also bring a large subsidy to an industry that still has much to prove.