About the project
The Keystone Comeback is a Southwestern Pennsylvania regional initiative to re-enroll students with some college, no credential. It provides an opportunity for individuals to re-enroll at any of the participating institutions in the region, benefit from pre-enrollment and ongoing advising from InsideTrack and the institution, and potentially have up to $5,000 in eligible past due balances cancelled. The Keystone Comeback brings together a cohort of institutions committed to designing and implementing a shared, student-centered model that improves outreach, re-enrollment, persistence, credential completion, and career readiness for adult learners balancing work, family, and financial responsibilities.
Building on lessons from the Ohio College Comeback Compact and the Pennsylvania Adult Learner Re-Engagement Community of Practice, participating institutions will work collaboratively to increase access to high-quality credential pathways for adult learners in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Over the course of the project, institutions will improve their readiness to serve adult learners, and contribute to regional efforts to close the workforce credential gap and strengthen economic mobility.
The project is funded by The Heinz Endowments and implemented by Ithaka S+R. InsideTrack, a not-for-profit that helps learners achieve their education and career goals through coaching, will contact stopped out learners and support them with the re-enrollment processes at any of the participating institutions. Pittsburgh Scholar House, a nonprofit organization based in the Pittsburgh region, is serving in an advisory role for institutions.
Student benefits
Returning students will benefit from three coordinated supports:
- Proactive outreach and individualized coaching from InsideTrack,
- Improvements in re-enrollment processes and student support services at participating institutions, and
- Cancellation of eligible past-due balances up to $5,000 as returning students re-enroll and meet program milestones.