Briefs

Background and Programs

For over 50 years, California Community College noncredit programs and K-12 adult schools have provided tuition-free education that prepares the community for employment, career advancement, and higher education. Authorized under Education Code § 84757(a)(1-9), these courses span Basic Skills, HS Diploma/Equivalency, ESL/Citizenship, Adults with Disabilities, Short-term Vocational, Older Adults, Health and Safety, and Parent Education.

Diverse and resilient learners

Students are English language learners, working adults, those without high school credentials, underemployed and unemployed, parents, and disabled adults. As reported by DataVista, in 2023–24, there were more than 400,000 Hispanic students, over 30,000 Black/African American students, 300,000 adults aged 25–44, and 100,000 aged 45–54.

Over half a million students served annually

xcept for the COVID year, over half a million students have been served by noncredit and K-12 adult education annually for the last decade, reaching 700,000 in 2023–24 (DataVista). The California Adult Education Program (CAEP) oversees a network of 71 regional consortia comprised of community college noncredit programs, K-12 adult schools, workforce development partners, and community-based organizations, and together they form the nation’s largest adult education system (Adams, Diaz, & Mednick Takami, 2024).

Value of Noncredit Education

Completion of noncredit programs can lead to a 34% increase in median quarterly wages, essentially growing from $7,833 to $10,479 (Christian, 2024).

How noncredit education transforms lives:

• A single parent who completed ESL and short-term medical assistant training now works at a local clinic, providing for her family.
• A recently laid-off worker earned a noncredit welding certificate and transitioned into a credit program, doubling his income within a year.
• An older adult completed computer skills courses, enabling her to start a home-based business.

These students are not the exception, but instead they are everyday successes from noncredit programs that empower adults to Build a Better Life.

Vision 2030: Priorities for Adult Learners

• Equity in Access. Raise awareness so more adults engage in noncredit and K-12 adult education.
• Equity in Success. Strengthen pathways to include workforce, employment, and higher educational partners.
• Equity in Support. Advocate for noncredit access to grants and state funds for basic needs, technology, and mental health services.
• Workforce Preparation. Expand living-wage attainment to transform families and strengthen communities.
• Flexible, Innovative Learning. Add opportunities for distance education, Credit for Prior Learning, apprenticeships, AI, climate, competency-based education, mirrored courses, tutoring, and upskilling.

Noncredit Program Development

• Purpose: Define why your college is pursuing noncredit expansion and how it aligns with student and community needs and institutional goals. Is your college ready?
• Invest in Staffing: Hire noncredit faculty and staff who understand the unique population of students and the value of noncredit education.
• Prioritize Technology Infrastructure: Advocate for your student information systems and related technology to be equipped to support noncredit programs.
• Build Campus Relationships: Promote noncredit integration into all structures within the institution. Engage faculty and staff to demonstrate that noncredit education serves as a feeder to credit programs, not a competitor.
• Use Data to Guide Decisions: Collect data and conduct research on noncredit student needs, trends, and program outcomes, particularly for disproportionately impacted students.
• Advocate for Inclusion of Noncredit Students: Urge state and system leaders to count noncredit student journeys and outcomes in funding opportunities and accountability metrics.