32 | Friday, August 7, 2026UT ready to push fast-track degrees But what will be lost when trimming a year out of a college education? Weeks later, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission approved a statewide policy establishing how those new degrees can be authorized. Why higher education is changingUniversity leaders say the push to rethink bachelor’s degrees is being driven by a rapidly changing student population and labor market. Universities also face growing pressure to make bachelor’s degrees less expensive and quicker to complete. Roberts says early models for reduced-hour bachelor’s degrees emerging nationwide have generally reached the same conclusion.