Momentum for shorter and lower‑cost credentials advanced this week: a growing cohort of public and private colleges are piloting three‑year bachelor’s programs as accreditors and state boards ease reduced‑credit pathways. The University of Wisconsin system and Massachusetts regulators have approved pilots, and the Higher Learning Commission is accepting reduced‑credit program applications across multiple states. At the graduate level, Udacity — partnered with Woolf and backed by Accenture LearnVantage — launched an accredited AI‑focused MBA priced under $5,000 and structured around project‑based “Nanodegree” modules. Institutions and employers increasingly frame accelerated and affordable credentials as responses to labor needs and student debt concerns.