Continuing and Contract Education

Some colleges and universities have found continuing education and contract education to be revenue generating opportunities for them. Some have developed impressive continuing education programs that exceed offerings found at many colleges and universities. Others have partnered with local businesses to offer academic programs and courses in the work place through contact education for a fee. Yet others have used distance learning as a tool to offer coursework cost-effectively and deliver programs globally.


Offer more physical education courses through continuing education on a higher fee basis

Charge market prices or full costs for continuing education and contract educational courses

Offer photography courses as continuing education for fees, and use the profits to invest in new photo technology

Develop public speaking and presentation courses for businesses and offer through contract education

Offer small business courses as continuing education

Start large continuing education classes on film history, aerobics, etc.

Offer non-credit courses on modular basis with staggered months

Make continuing education and non-credit programs financially self-sufficient

Change to census days for non-credit classes

Reduce hours of continuing education or non-credit courses if they don’t cover their own costs

Increase or sustain hours of continuing education or non-credit courses if they generate revenues that exceed or cover their own costs

Have continuing education and non-credit course students bring their own supplies and buy their own books

Establish continuing education courses for test preparation, tutor training, Computer Automated Design, and other new areas

Offer contract education courses in workplace literacy through ESL programs

Charge tuition for non-credit classes in summer school


Few people think more than two or three times a year. I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a year. - George Bernard Shaw


KH Consulting Group (KH) started this Know-How site in 2009 to create a forum for sharing ideas on effectively enhancing revenues and containing costs in higher education in the near and longer term.

KH has posted more than 500 ideas. You can join the forum at:
http://knowhow-education.blogspot.com/

Note: The ideas shared are not prescriptive and will not work in all situations or at all institutions. Some of the ideas are tactical – quick victories to save money in easy ways. Others are strategic, requiring careful analysis before implementing.