Rising tuition costs and increasing skepticism about the value of the traditional four-year degree are causing students, higher education organizations, and government officials to turn to alternative programs that are touted as cheaper, more flexible, and based on skills rather than classroom hours.

Specifically, the Trump administration has pushed for an expansion of apprenticeships and other alternatives to the typical college experience, and the GOP-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce has drafted a new version of the Higher Education Act that pursues many of the same goals through deregulation and a focus on preparing people to fill vacant jobs.

Democrats, however, worry that without strong regulations and accountability measures, for-profit educational institutions and training programs will be able to take advantage of students.

Apprenticeships are paid positions that include an instructional component, so workers earn money while they gain knowledge and skills for a specific industry or profession. Some programs, known as “registered apprenticeships,” are regulated and funded by the Department of Labor.

Following the president’s lead on deregulation, House Republicans introduced a bill Dec. 12 to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, including a provision that would create a grant program to support industry-led apprenticeship programs.

The new bill would also end several Obama-era regulations on higher education, including some protections against for-profit colleges.

Read the full article by Laura Fay about apprenticeships from The 74