Quality College Experiences vs. Lower Cost Access

Abstract

The COVID-19 shutdown was a destructive disruption of the higher education institutions of the United States. It also caused the creation of new capabilities that colleges and universities can use to better reach underserved potential students. College presidents are normally faced with the difficult task of devising a strategy that aligns the unique sets of resources that are at their disposal to the needs of current and potential students. A major challenge for collegiate leaders is to measure and balance the dual needs for both high quality and low cost. Historically, this has not been accomplished for working adult students. The purpose of this chapter is to explore a strategy for providing a rich and highly valuable collegiate experience to underserved groups of students at a reduced cost. This is by using focus strategy to employ the skills and technical abilities acquired by many institutions during the COVID-19 shutdown.