Thousands of students could be eligible for federal student aid as part of a pilot program that will offer certificates and college credit for nontraditional programs, such as boot-camp-style computer science training.
Under the three-year pilot, colleges and universities would have to set up partnerships with the nontraditional educational providers, including short-term intensive training programs in subjects like Web design and software coding. Students could also get academic credit toward a postsecondary education.