Stackable Credential Pipelines and Equity for Low-Income Individuals

Federal, state, and local initiatives have encouraged education and training providers to build stackable credentials, a series of postsecondary credentials that can be earned over time and build on each other. By offering flexible pathways that allow individuals to earn credentials incrementally and work as they earn credentials, stackable credentials can advance educational and economic opportunity for low-income individuals and other groups that have not been well-served in traditional degree programs. However, there is limited evidence on whether low-income individuals benefit from stacking credentials, and whether low-income individuals face systemic barriers to accessing stackable credential pipelines. In this report, the authors use a mixed methods approach to examine stackable credential equity in Colorado and Ohio-two states pursuing stackable credential initiatives. The authors analyze administrative data to describe patterns in credential stacking and earnings for low-income individuals relative to middle- and high-income individuals. They identify four potential systemic barriers to equity within stackable credential pipelines, and interview key stakeholders to learn more about factors contributing to these barriers. The authors conclude by discussing options to ensure equitable opportunities to stack credentials across fields of study and institutions.