Many students work to pay for college, but earn-and-learn programs that connect the job to what they're studying matter more than random part-time work. The question is how co-ops stay aligned with degree timelines so students don't graduate late.
I really appreciate two pieces that you highlighted there. First is just around the role of earn and learn and breeding access to educational opportunities. I think so often the conversation centers around career outcomes which post grad career outcomes and obviously that is a huge part of the equation and so important. But also just the ability to earn while you learn for many is a prerequisite to actually accessing the education in the first place. And I think sometimes that gets lost in the conversation and then part and parcel with that. It's a reality for an increasing number of students in America that they will be working whether it's through earn and learn or just through a part time role that's disconnected from their career aspirations. And so aligning that part time work that's already happening one way or another to their larger career outcomes and to the learning that's happening in the classroom is so important. So really appreciate you highlighting those points. One question that I have in following up with that is you mentioned that the co op model is not increasing the time to degree as it does in some other programs. Could you talk through how that works, how you're able to identify those synergies and get students to graduate on a regular time schedule?
