Nearly nine in 10 colleges plan to expand online programs to meet surging demand—a complete reversal from just two decades ago when policymakers actively restricted digital education. At that time, the “50% rule” required colleges and universities to seek special approval if more than half of their courses or programs went digital, or if more than half of their students participated in online learning. This was a regulatory response to legitimate concerns in the 1990s around correspondence courses (read as: paper, pencil, mail), educational quality and student protection.
