Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has extended the postponement of monthly student-loan payments until Feb. 1, but some worry that the delay won't give President-elect Joe Biden much time to assess the issue after taking office. One advocacy director encourages students to try to make payments now if possible, while others hope the payment holiday will be extended even longer.

The year of the coronavirus also has been the year of online learning as students go remote and professionals seek to improve their skill sets virtually. A Class Central roundup of 2020's most popular online courses include several related to contact tracing and working online, as well as selections on leadership, project management and artificial intelligence.

This summer, the Outdoor Industry Association created the Outdoor Industry Business Certificate program to provide professional development for people already working in the industry, or those wanting to make a pivot to it. Two noncredit certificate programs are offered online in conjunction with accredited universities, and students can take up to six months to complete the curriculum.

Henry Ford Health System in Detroit helped to fill its staffing needs by creating the cross-training Ready Talent program, which is focusing on food service, environmental services and transport during the pilot. It allows the company to more quickly fill temporary or permanent gaps, and it broadens employees' skill sets.

The College Board has decided that students around the country taking AP tests online can submit answers via email after numerous students were unable to submit their answers during browser-based testing from May 11 to 15. Students who took the test during this time will have to take a makeup test instead of being able to email their unsubmitted answers.