This research re-imagined the traditional college experience by combining flexible, competency-based online courses with wraparound, in-person support and coaching. It shows that this “hybrid college” model has achieved graduation rates more than twice the Massachusetts state average, cut the cost of college in half, and eliminated race-based college completion disparities. While further research is needed, early evidence suggests that this new approach could have significant implications for closing equity gaps in higher education, reducing college debt, and increasing economic mobility.

The Rivet School, with campuses in Richmond, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, Calif., provides personal coaching, financial aid, group study sessions and career counseling to 164 adult students — a large proportion of them working and more than half of them parents or caregivers, the founders say — who take courses on their own schedules from two accredited nonprofit online universities.

Whether higher education leaders are on their way to the largest conference focused on innovation or staying at their home schools, they must prepare themselves for a new reality: Nearly two-thirds of students who responded to recent polling said higher education is not worth the cost.

Students are making their voices heard, and we should all listen. While a lot of issues will be on the agenda in San Diego this week, the main topic, put simply, is the future.

"Early data suggests that the model is working. Half of the program’s 115 students are on track to earn bachelor degrees in less than three years."

"Models like Rivet School, another Rise Prize winner, address this challenge by designing postsecondary programs that specifically connect learners to high-demand careers. The school also provides intensive mentoring and career coaching."

Univisión interviewed one of our founders, Eli Bildner. Hear about a scholarship program we supported enabling Bay Area Dreamers to earn a tuition-free bachelor’s degree.

Have you ever heard of a college program with no tests or required attendance that lets you gain a degree on your own time and in your own way? The Standard dropped by an open house for Rivet School last weekend, held at the Leadership Public Schools on Bissell Avenue, and discovered a group looking to help turn the traditional learning model on its head.

As a single parent who worked full-time as a teacher’s aide, Tamea Bishop was determined to improve her economic prospects by pursuing postsecondary education. Because of her busy work schedule and child care needs, it was hard for Tamea to find classes she could attend. Online learning seemed to be her best bet, but she didn’t own a computer and lacked some basic computer skills. But Tamea was fortunate. Through her employer in Richmond, California she learned of a new college program designed specifically to support working adults.

It sounds too good to be true: Start with a flexible online education—one that allows adult students to speed through the material they already know rather than plod through prerequisites semester by semester. Then, combine that with all the real-world supports that online degrees don’t offer, including a community of fellow students, a coach who meets with you face to face, a quiet study space, and maybe even a free lunch. All with a sticker price that is mostly covered by the federal Pell Grant for low-income students.

We’re also keeping an eye on hybrid colleges, including Da Vinci Extension, Concourse Education, Match Beyond and PelotonU, that provide access to accredited programs while providing intensive wraparound student support, digital learning (often competency based) and funding models that mitigate student debt.

Hybrid college is built to fit your life. The days of conventional classroom schedules — especially in the age of COVID-19 — just do not work for many young adults anymore. A blended format gets at the root causes for college stop-out.

Our partners are also building entirely new models that remove barriers to lifelong learning, especially for so-called non-traditional students such as working adults or learners requiring flexibility. As many people have pointed out, these non-traditional students represent close to 74% of all undergraduates. Rivet School, [a] hybrid college, developed an accelerated, low-cost college program for working adults....The demand for these models and more choices will only grow.