Hybrid College Network

The Challenge
A college degree continues to be one of the best ways to improve a person’s quality of life, but for many people, that opportunity is just out of reach—due to high tuition, fixed class schedules, and a lack of personalized support. The 15 members of the Hybrid College Network are changing that by combining the flexibility of online universities with the rigor of traditional four-year schools, while also offering coaching and mentoring—all at an affordable cost. But like any new idea that aims to change the status quo, the concept takes some explaining. The Hybrid College Network needed a brand identity and a website that could effectively communicate the advantages of their model and attract the support of funders and community partners, with the ultimate goal of enrolling more students in more hybrid colleges across the nation.

The Solution
Friday worked with leaders of the country’s most respected hybrid colleges to identify the network’s reason for being, clarify its target audience, and illustrate its role in advancing racial equity. Because roughly three out of four college students are older adults, full-time workers, or family caretakers, we highlighted the many ways that hybrid colleges increase opportunities for students whose lives don’t fit the traditional college-going experience. The new brand speaks to hybrid colleges’ flexibility, their appeal to students of color, and the ways the organizations connect grads with employers—supporting the success of their students and the communities they serve.