Midwest looks at dropout degrees

[ccharles000]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A dozen Midwestern states are studying the creation of a college-credit exchange that could make it easier for college dropouts to finally complete their degrees.

The project would create an electronic database where people could post documentation about the college credits they have earned from various institutions, their work training and other relevant educational experiences.

Colleges and universities then essentially would bid for the opportunity to enroll those students by indicating how many credits they would accept, what additional courses would be needed to complete their degrees and how much it would cost.

"This would be a one-stop shop where persons from throughout the 12-state region could deposit their credits," Larry Isaak, president of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, said Monday. Institutions then would "see if they have programs that might match in helping those students finish a certificate or associate or bachelor's degree."

The Midwestern coalition is composed of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The research is being financed by a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Isaak said the group hopes to decide by next fall whether to create the multistate college-credit exchange. Still to be determined is whether there is enough interest from potential students, how the site would be funded and how higher education institutions would access it.

More than 2.1 million residents of states within the Midwestern coalition have some higher education but lack a college degree, according to the Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based entity that seeks to expand access to higher education.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091116/NEWS01/711169860/0/SPORTS07