When it comes to post-secondary education, an increasing number of students are choosing short-term certifications over pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree. Department of Education data shows completion of short-term certifications that took less than a year to finish increased by 33% in 2023 compared to 2013.
Meanwhile, these short-term initiatives are more frequently being financially supported by the government. For example, the consulting firm HCM Strategists found in 2025 that 34 states invested more than $8.1 billion across 111 active short-term credentials initiatives.
Clearly, short-term certification is becoming more popular, and part of the reason why is the limitations of 4-year degrees in meeting the needs of many financially vulnerable students.
4-Year Degrees Are Not a Solution That Fits All Students
Rebounding from a pandemic-related enrollment crisis, enrollment for Bachelor’s degrees is actually slightly up. Enrollment at public four-year institutions rose by 2.7% in spring 2025 year over year, and rose by 3.3% at private for-profit four-year institutions during the same time period.
However, for many Americans, they appear to view getting a bachelor’s degree as a luxury as opposed to a sound financial investment. According to a 2025 NBC News poll, 63% of registered voters feel a four-year college isn’t worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.
For another segment of the population, paying for a Bachelor’s degree can feel near impossible. The Institute for Higher Education Policy found the students with the lowest incomes would need almost 150% of their household income to cover college costs. These are usually students who qualify for Federal Pell Grants, but the catch is Pell Grants have not kept pace with rising costs.
In 2019-2020, 90% of students who ever received a Pell Grant faced at least one unmet need. In comparison, only 56% of students who hadn’t received a Pell grant had an unmet need. While financial aid helps, if it doesn’t offset your monthly bills, a four-year degree isn’t necessarily a realistic goal.
Short-Term Certifications Address Demand
The advantage of short-term certification training is that it can provide students without the current financial means to begin a four-year bachelor’s degree with a quick, direct and affordable path to getting an in-demand job.
Here are the specific reasons healthcare-related learners may prefer short-term credentials compared to pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Reason #1: Faster entry into the workforce – By definition, students can finish short-term certification in 1 year or less, compared to a bachelor’s degree taking four years to complete. While MedCerts programs are learn-at-your-own-pace, most can be completed in 3-6 months, when the student is able to dedicate 15–20 hours per week to study.
Reason #2: Meets job requirements – For many allied healthcare roles, employers with workers who have completed short-term certification are at least as effective as other employees in the same roles.
The 2025 MedCerts Allied Healthcare Staffing Needs Survey found 69.09% of healthcare employers think employees who received their certification after completing an online learning course are just as competent or more competent than healthcare professionals who didn’t take an online certification training course.
In other instances, a short-term certification is either required or heavily preferred. The Occupational Requirements Survey from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics found 22.8 % of healthcare support workers required an educational certificate. Depending on the specific allied health position, that can be much higher. For example, according to the 2025 National Healthcareer Association Industry Outlook Report, 61% of employers require – and another 33% encourage – certification for billing and coding specialists.
Reason #3: Short-term certification is cheaper, involves less debt – Learners who borrowed money to pursue a bachelor’s degree in 2025 have, on average, $35,639 in student loans. Additionally, it will take a 2025 bachelor’s graduate 3-7 years, on average, to repay their student debt. Short-term certification is significantly cheaper and doesn’t involve the burden of massive debt.
Reason #4: Targets areas of demand – According to a MedCerts survey, 41.21 % of healthcare employers said it was harder or somewhat harder to hire allied healthcare workers in the last year. Meanwhile, 75.76% of healthcare employers experienced a shortage of allied healthcare workers for some, most, or all of the last year.
In many cases, short-term certification training programs are being offered for jobs that are both in high demand, and will continue to be in the future.
For example, Home Health and Personal Care Aides is a position projected to grow 17% between 2024 and 2034, including on average 765,800 new openings per year. Meanwhile, there are expected to be 12% more Medical Assistants jobs in the same time period, with about 112,300 new openings for Medical Assistants each year.
Reason #5: Availability of government funding – With the application process opening up starting July 1, 2026, Federal Pell grants have been expanded to include Workforce Pell grants. For the first time, low-income students will be able to apply for approved short-term certification programs that take between 150 and 599 clock hours, and between 8 to 15 weeks to complete. This funding is intended to be used on high-demand, high-impact short-term programs, in which 70% or more of graduates find gainful employment within 180 days.
This is potentially a game-changer for low-income students, though federal rules and state-by-state criteria still need to be finalized. Either way, MedCerts is experienced at helping students through the application of a variety of funding sources for short-term certification training programs. Those include MyCAA Grant Funding, WIOA Title IB Funding, and GI Bill® Reimbursement.
Why Invest In Short-Term Certification Through MedCerts Partner Solutions
Not all short-term credential programs are equally effective, and the impact can vary wildly by industry. That said, research shows health-related fields are associated with higher labor market returns, with short-term credentials particularly useful for learners looking to change industries.
The good news for employers is that MedCerts Partner Solutions is especially effective. A MedCerts study found 93.6% of healthcare employers, who are also MedCerts partners, said employees who completed a short-term certification through MedCerts are more likely to stay at their facility compared to employees who did not. MedCerts is graduating students who are both job-ready and are being retained longer.
Offering training through short-term credentials is a win-win, both for healthcare employers and the learners they’re empowering.
Want more information about how MedCerts Partners Solutions can grow your allied healthcare workforce through short-term credentials? Contact us at [email protected]!
