Re-engaging and re-enrolling individuals with some college, no degree (SCND) is an increasing priority nationally. Credential completion not only enables individuals to access higher paying jobs, but also generates tuition revenue for institutions and supports regional economic development. Many states, including Tennessee, Ohio, and Michigan, have implemented reconnect or comeback programs targeted towards adult learners. Similarly, colleges and universities in New Jersey along with the state’s Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) have made significant investments in re-engaging and re-enrolling these students.

In an effort to meet its ambitious goal—that 65 percent of working age residents would attain a high-quality postsecondary credential or degree by 2025—New Jersey OSHE has undertaken a statewide SCND initiative. This includes awarding over $5 million in grant funding, launching a statewide marketing campaign, providing credit for prior learning technical assistance, and partnering with ReUp Education, an organization focused on providing outreach to and coaching for stopped out students.

Despite these efforts, students still encounter significant barriers to re-enrollment, particularly when unpaid balances and administrative holds are involved. To better understand these challenges, Ithaka S+R and New Jersey OSHE collaborated on a project examining institutional and student experiences with the re-engagement and re-enrollment process, including the impact of SCND initiative grant funding. Today, we’re sharing two publications to highlight the key insights from this collaboration:

Through a series of interviews with relevant stakeholders and a review of administrative data, we identified several challenges New Jersey institutions are facing as well as potential solutions for other states looking to support students with SCND:

  • Administrative holds are inhibiting New Jersey students from registering for classes.
  • Past due balances continue to be a major barrier for students who wish to restart their education.
  • Proactive outreach strategies and dedicated points of contact are among the most effective approaches to re-engaging stopped out students.
  • Student-focused incentive funding from New Jersey’s SCND grant program is vital for returning students.

As institutions and states continue to navigate the evolving higher education and economic landscapes, the need to successfully re-enroll and graduate students with SCND will likely grow. Institutions looking to re-engage, re-enroll, and graduate stopped out students can use the promising practices highlighted throughout the brief and report, along with our related work, to find strategies that might work for their institution. Similarly, states looking to support residents and institutions in the re-enrollment process can leverage the successes of New Jersey’s SCND Initiative to design and implement similar initiatives. Our work offers a starting point for crafting contextually tailored solutions that allow institutions and states to contend with the persistent and complex challenges that arise when students with SCND return to higher education.

This work is made possible by generous funding from Lumina Foundation and The Kresge Foundation. If your institution or state is interested in partnering with Ithaka S+R to address barriers to adult learner re-engagement, through program implementation, technical assistance, or other solutions, please reach out to Liz Looker, senior program manager, at elizabeth.looker@ithaka.org.