Beyond Re-Enrollment: Supporting Adult Learners to Graduation

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Supporting adult learner perseverance enhances their educational journey and drives workforce readiness and economic prosperity.

This year’s National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) report on adult learners with some college, no credential (SCNC) points to a troubling trend in perseverance. Defined in the report as the continuation of enrollment into a second academic year, perseverance highlights the challenges adult learners currently face when they return to higher ed. Despite a steady perseverance rate of 56.6% in recent years, an ever-growing SCNC population—currently 36.8 million adults under 65—means fewer learners are actually completing their degrees.

The experiences of adult learners after returning to an institution greatly influence their ability to succeed. Encouraging perseverance is crucial for both enhancing our economic health and improving individual financial security. By increasing the number of qualified professionals, we not only meet workforce demands but also help learners achieve higher-paying jobs and reduce overall debt burdens. At ReUp, our mission is to improve perseverance by identifying barriers that hinder or prevent progress at our partner institutions while also supporting adult learners post-enrollment.

Our first post in this series exploring the results of the NSC report explained why adult learners are the new traditional students and why institutions need comprehensive strategies to attract, enroll, and retain them. In part two, we examined today’s education marketplace and how institutions can adapt to stay competitive. In this final post, we consider adult learner perseverance, which plays a vital role in economic mobility and in strengthening our nation’s workforce, and share ways for institutions to support adult learners after re-enrolling.

Meeting economic demands with higher education

By 2031, 72% of jobs will demand postsecondary education or training, with 42% requiring at least a bachelor’s degree. If current trends continue, states could face a significant shortfall of qualified workers to fill these roles. The wage gap further accentuates this issue—individuals with only a high school diploma earn roughly half of what degree holders make.

Institutions of higher ed and state governments can work together to close these gaps by more closely aligning educational offerings with labor market needs. As partners, schools, systems, and states can develop tailored programs that address specific industry demands, ensuring graduates have the skills the workforce needs. States can provide incentives or funding to institutions that support regional economic goals, fostering a responsive and adaptable educational system. These partnerships also result in data sharing initiatives that track job market outcomes, making it easier for institutions to adjust their offerings to meet evolving needs.

This collaborative approach benefits SCNC learners, institutions, and state economies. As adult learners fill enrollment gaps and persist to earn credentials, they acquire valuable skills and qualify for higher-paying jobs. Greater financial security means they contribute to building a healthier economy.

ReUp’s collaboration with the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education exemplifies this effort. Working with 22 institutions, ReUp has outreached 247,000 adult learners since April 2023, leading to 8,600 re-enrollments and 350 graduations. This initiative has recaptured $38 million in tuition and is expected to contribute an additional $56.5 million to the state’s economy through taxes and consumer spending in the first year after those who re-enrolled graduate.

“Obtaining a degree can be a life-changer for someone aspiring to do more in their chosen field or deciding to pursue an entirely new career […] By supporting our students in completing their postsecondary education, we are not only investing in their future but also building a stronger and more resilient economy as a whole.” – Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey

Supporting perseverance is an institution-wide commitment

Ensuring adult learners persevere requires more than just re-enrolling them; it demands an institution-wide commitment to addressing the unique challenges they face that extend beyond academics. This can include financial support, childcare, and employment opportunities. ReUp’s experience working with our partners suggests that institutions wanting to improve perseverance should consider:

  • Dedicated re-enrollment coordinators
  • Reorientation tailored to adult learners
  • Proactive academic advisors that specialize navigating aspects of higher ed that most impact adult learners, like transfer credits, credit for prior learning, how to change majors, time management and resources for basic needs
  • Financial incentives and debt relief
  • Enhanced support services like mental health and job placement resources
  • Flexible online and hybrid course options
  • Programs aligned with local labor market needs
  • Alternate class durations and start dates
  • Partnerships with local employers to create programs that align with current and future workforce needs

The role ReUp plays in perseverance

Many returning learners find it challenging to navigate an academic landscape that changed a lot since they left. ReUp’s patented data science models analyze millions of data points to help us understand the SCNC population, predict learner outcomes, personalize multi-channel outreach and engagement, and optimize re-enrollment efforts. ReUp Success Coaches, instrumental in the re-enrollment process, remain a resource to adult learners through graduation. Coaches offer expertise in navigating the complex systems of higher education and career development. Behavioral nudges during a semester, resources for forming successful study habits, and regular check-ins ensure that learners stay on track to achieve their goals. As Joel Cintron, an adult learner attending Passaic County Community College in New Jersey, told us, “With the guidance of my ReUp Success Coach and the support of my mother, I was able to continue to fight that uphill battle and eventually get to the top.”

Many ReUp coaches have personal experience as stopout students, which informs their coaching and builds an empathetic connection and trust that encourages learners to persist in their educational journey. Most importantly, they see the adult learner as a whole person. “With every coaching session, my focus is on the learner,” Coach John, a ReUp Success Coach, said. “It’s providing the space for them to talk and think out loud and it’s also providing them with that space to assess where they are with their goals, how they’re going to get there, and if their goals change, what their new goals are. That’s what success coaching is beneficial for: this is time for the learners to just focus on themselves.”

Meet more adult learners who successfully navigated their educational journey with the support of ReUp Success Coaches. Their stories highlight the transformative power of perseverance and dedicated support.

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Let’s start the conversation

Schedule a call with a ReUp team member to learn more about what a ReUp partnership could do for your institution.