Merodie Hancock, President, Thomas Edison State University
In an interview with Invest:, Merodie Hancock, president of Thomas Edison State University, emphasized the institution’s workforce-focused approach for non-traditional students. “We take pride in ‘skilling up’ working professionals who are already successful but seeking career advancement,” Hancock said.
How did the past year unfold for Thomas Edison State University, and what does it reveal about the state of the education sector in New Jersey?
Thomas Edison State University, a unique degree-completion institution, is dedicated to workforce development for non-traditional students. Unlike traditional higher education, we start terms monthly, operate without a physical campus, and minimize typical campus distractions, focusing instead on career-driven education. We take pride in “skilling up” working professionals who are already successful but seeking career advancement, primarily at the undergraduate level, while our master’s and doctorate programs remain workforce aligned. Most students pursue degrees for pragmatic career reasons, not the traditional “coming of age” college experience. This year, we’ve expanded partnerships with federal and state Department of Labor programs to upskill workers beyond the community college level, including mental health pathways for nurse practitioners and skilled mental health support roles. We emphasize prior learning assessment, evaluating both classroom and experiential learning, especially from military and skilled labor backgrounds. A notable partnership with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (U.S. Department of Energy) has led to apprenticeships in plasma physics energy applications. These public partnerships enable us to create targeted programs, pathways, and scholarships, building robust workforce pipelines. Our ongoing challenge — and opportunity — is anticipating emerging skill demands and proactively adapting our curriculum to meet those needs, ensuring alignment with workforce evolution.
What recent adaptations to its programs has the university made to meet the diverse needs of adult learners and industries?
We’re experiencing growth in two key areas at Thomas Edison State University. First, health professions have expanded beyond traditional RN programs to include nurse practitioners and specialized care fields. Our nursing programs grew over 100% last year, and we’ve partnered with Bayada and Cooper University Health Care to establish on-site nursing cohorts, boosting capacity and aiding hospital talent retention — a mutual benefit. Second, we’ve pioneered partnerships with high school pre-apprenticeship programs in trades like construction, offering a dual-enrollment model. This gives students half a year of college credit and trade skills, debt-free, before graduation. It is accessible to all, unlike AP programs, setting them ahead in college and career pathways. These initiatives highlight our ability to adapt quickly and validate learning wherever it occurs. While some question education’s value, we demonstrate its career impact, whether advancing nurses or providing trade students with college credit through community college partnerships. Our nimble, portable model meets learners where they are in their professional journeys, ensuring education aligns directly with workforce needs and career progression.
How is Thomas Edison State University contributing to the regional development of Trenton?
Our strongest partnerships are with the Department of Labor (both federal and state) and military organizations. We work closely with Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the New Jersey National Guard to create flexible academic programs that accommodate service members’ unpredictable schedules, ensuring no academic penalty for deployments or duty changes.
A prime example is our unique nuclear program, developed with energy companies like PSE&G to prepare Navy nuclear specialists for civilian careers as nuclear engineers. These initiatives reflect our dual commitment: serving military personnel with tailored education pathways while meeting workforce demands in high-skill fields. Our ability to bridge military training with civilian career transitions exemplifies our mission-driven approach.
How has TESU integrated emerging technologies and skill-based programs into its curriculum to help students navigate economic challenges?
We maintain academic relevance through two key approaches: First, our dedicated course development team, including subject matter experts, assessment specialists, and learning technologists, continuously updates all online courses. This ensures students learn current industry standards, which is critical since they’re actively working professionals who can’t afford outdated skills or software.
Second, our students themselves drive curriculum evolution. As practitioners, they contribute real-world insights through class discussions and demand cutting-edge content they can immediately apply. Fields like criminal justice and AI exemplify this rapid adaptation cycle. We’re constantly revising policies and tools to match workplace realities. Unlike traditional institutions, we embrace, rather than restrict, workplace technologies, preparing students to leverage tools like AI in their daily jobs.
What are the biggest challenges facing both TESU and its adult students, given their unique life circumstances?
We’re navigating a transformative period. While many assumed COVID was easier for us as an online institution, they overlooked our students’ realities — working adults facing job loss, childcare disruptions, and family illness. Today, similar challenges persist: Our students, many of whom are in public sector roles, grapple with workforce uncertainty, evolving job demands, and rapid industry shifts.
Every news headline about economic change directly impacts them. Our constant message? Protect yourself — gain experience but also earn the degree. The core challenge lies in truly understanding and addressing these compounded pressures while helping students prepare for unpredictable career landscapes.
How is the implementation of zero-textbook-cost courses at TESU helping students access more affordable education options?
Thomas Edison State University launched its textbook affordability initiative in 2017, saving students over $10 million to date. Serving adult learners, 30% of whom rely on federal aid, we focus on reducing financial barriers. Many students pay course by course and face socioeconomic challenges, and delays in financial aid for textbooks, often arriving one to two weeks into classes, can hinder success. Our solution is 115 courses with zero textbook costs, saving students approximately $1 million annually. Over a decade, these cumulative savings have exceeded $10 million, ensuring immediate access to course materials and supporting academic success for our students.
How is TESU supporting underserved student populations, in addition to its work with veterans and its commitment to meeting students where they are?
Adult learners face unique challenges — full-time work, dependents, financial pressures, and evolving job markets — making them more vulnerable to attrition in higher education. Our institution addresses this through structural support: monthly term starts, generous transfer credit policies, and prior learning assessment for work experience. We’ve also implemented peer mentoring programs, pairing current students with successful TESU alumni in subjects like math and science. Funded partially by the state, these groups provide both academic and emotional support, proving especially effective for underserved populations. Students relate better to peers with similar life experiences than to professional staff. While we offer tutoring and career services, our wraparound support operates within constrained state funding. Every initiative, from flexible academics to peer networks, aims to mitigate the complex barriers adult learners face.
What is the outlook for Thomas Edison State University in the next three to five years, and what will be the university’s top priorities?
Higher education faces challenges like political pressures, funding constraints, and closures, but Thomas Edison State University remains financially healthy due to our model and fiscal stewardship, despite tight margins as a state-funded institution. Our adult-serving approach is increasingly relevant as traditional college paths become less attainable amid rising debt concerns. We focus on adults (typically 35-plus), while adapting for younger learners through pre-apprenticeship programs and stackable credentials that count toward degrees. This “hacking a degree” approach lets students earn marketable skills quickly, valuing their work-life experience via a “secret transcript.” Our biggest challenge is growing competition, as other institutions target adult learners for enrollment. However, we’ve specialized in this for decades, offering tailored flexibility and recognition of non-traditional learning, not just convenience. We’re addressing generational differences — 45-year-olds versus 25-year-olds — by redesigning programs into digestible, credential-bearing components aligned with industry needs, positioning us well amid sector-wide turbulence.
