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Short-term Credentials Communities of Practice
Request for Proposals
WICHE — in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Quality Skills and Education Pathways project and the Education and Employment Research Center — is convening two cohorts of WICHE states and Pacific jurisdictions interested in advancing policy and practice related to short-term credentials. The project will run for 24 months and includes a $15,000 subaward to support participation in addition to technical assistance and funded travel.
- Aligning Investments Community of Practice
Aligning Investments will bring together three to five states/Pacific jurisdictions interested in collaborating to examine which short-term credentials they are currently subsidizing and to explore how these investments align with their economic goals. Participating states/Pacific jurisdictions will take part in a community of practice designed to support inter-agency collaboration, deepen employer engagement, foster cross-state learning, and enhance data-informed decision making.- Full application details are available in the Aligning Investments Short-term Credentials RFP.
- Assessing Private Providers Community of Practice
Assessing Private Providers will bring together three to five states/Pacific jurisdictions interested in collaborating to review, assess, and enhance their current regulatory approaches to short-term credentials offered by private providers, with a specific focus on data collection and use. Participating states/Pacific jurisdictions will take part in a community of practice designed to support inter-agency collaboration, foster cross-state learning, contribute to the field’s research base, and enhance data-informed decision making.- Full application details are available in the Assessing Private Providers of Short-term Credentials RFP.
Proposals should be submitted via email to Christina Sedney at csedney@wiche.edu by 11:59 p.m. (MT) on October 22, 2026.
Who is eligible for participation?
Both RFPs are open to all WICHE states and Pacific jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and American Samoa), Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Aligning Investments Community of Practice
Teams must include a demonstrated commitment from a minimum of three state-serving entities, for example state higher education executive office (SHEEO), economic development agency, workforce services, department of labor, governor’s office, chamber of commerce, state longitudinal data system, etc. Any state-level entity may serve as the lead applicant, however, at least one of the partners must be a state agency.
Assessing Private Providers Community of Practice
Proposals should be submitted by a state, territory, or system-level agency with a role in the oversight of private credential providers and access to associated data. While WICHE encourages cross-agency collaboration, it is not required.
What does the time commitment look like for participation in the project?
Participants are expected to meet with project staff on a bimonthly basis, participate in quarterly community of practice calls, and send representatives to two in-person convenings, taking place at the State Higher Education Policy Center (SHEPC) in Boulder, CO. Travel support will be provided by WICHE for all participants.
Why does this work matter?
Short-term credentials are taking on an increasingly important role in the postsecondary sector, with growing student demand, new state and federal investments, and a groundswell of offerings from non-institutional providers entering the marketplace. Yet many unanswered questions remain about the impact of these credentials on student outcomes and their efficacy as workforce and economic development tools. Moreover, especially when offered by private providers, these credentials often fall outside the scope of traditional regulatory structures for postsecondary education, and data on their nature and outcomes is extremely limited. The goal of the project is to support states/Pacific jurisdictions in developing a more comprehensive understanding of how their short-term credential investments and oversight are impacting students and economies.
Can a state or Pacific jurisdiction participate in both Communities of Practice?
Applicants may submit a proposal to both communities of practice if the unique goals of each community align with the state/Pacific jurisdiction’s interests and the state/Pacific jurisdiction has the capacity to meaningfully engage in both efforts.
For more information, please contact:
