Key points:
- Learners have changed–institutions have to change their approaches, too
- Tens of millions of students have some college but no credential
- Why this university has identified faculty as a key to student success
- For more news on enrollment, visit eCN’s Campus Leadership hub
More than 40 million adult learners have some college experience, but no credential or degree, and a new study identifies the contributing factors preventing these students from re-enrolling.
Financial barriers, shifting perceptions of degree value, and institutional trust are key factors influencing re-enrollment decisions, according to the new analysis from StraighterLine, a provider of flexible post-secondary online courses and industry credentials, and UPCEA, the online and professional education association. The study examines the motivations, challenges, and readiness of individuals with some college experience but no credential (SCNC).
Identifying strategies to re-engage the more than 41.9 million Americans in the SCNC population could prove fruitful as higher education institutions grapple with declining enrollment and seek ways to re-engage students.
“As traditional student enrollment declines and institutions close their doors, more than 40 million adult learners are waiting to be re-engaged,” said Dr. Amy Smith, Chief Learning Officer at StraighterLine. “The time has come for higher education to rethink its strategy. Our research dives deep into the enrollment funnel from the student perspective and offers institutions a way to identify those students who are ready to complete their degree.”
Financial barriers remain significant–58 percent of respondents say their current financial situation would not allow them to afford college tuition and related expenses, and 72 percent cite affordable tuition or cost of the program as a necessary factor for re-enrollment.
The shifting perceptions of the value of a degree are in play, as well–while 84 percent of respondents believed they needed a degree to achieve their professional goals before first enrolling, only 34 percent still hold that belief.
Higher education is facing a “trust deficit,” the report notes. Only 42 percent of respondents agree that colleges and universities are trustworthy, underscoring an issue that institutions must address.
Among key motivators to re-enrollment are salary improvement (53 percent), personal goals (44 percent), and career change (38 percent).
The top three factors predicting adult learners’ readiness to re-enroll are mental resilience and routine readiness, positive opinions on institutional trustworthiness and communication, and belief in the value of a degree.
Eighty-six percent of respondents prefer email communication when inquiring about programs, with minimal interest in chatbots (6 percent).
“This research reveals a serious relational disconnect between the SCNC population and higher education institutions,” said Jim Fong, Chief Research Officer at UPCEA. “We really need to do a reset here regarding how we interface with this learner. They are not the same learners from a decade ago, yet the programs, marketing and enrollment management processes are largely the same. There’s a lot that colleges and universities can do to better engage the learner, as well as create meaningful milestones on their journey toward a degree.”
The study also aimed to see if there was a way to pinpoint a student’s readiness to re-enroll in a college program to complete a degree or credential. Researchers developed a Student Readiness Index to provide institutions with a comprehensive measure of an individual’s likelihood to re-enroll and succeed in higher education. The index identifies seven key factors including:
- Mental resilience and routine readiness
- Positive opinions on institutional trustworthiness and communication
- Belief in the value of a degree
- Financial readiness
- Time management skills
- Personal support systems
- Career and personal motivations
“We wanted to know which factors matter most and what could be the leading predictor of a student’s success when returning to college,” said Smith. “Our Student Readiness Index provides institutions with a powerful framework to determine which students are most prepared to return to school and identify those who might need more support.”
The index evaluates respondents on a 100-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater readiness to re-enroll. The study found that respondents who were previously enrolled in certificate programs had a slightly higher average readiness score (50.7) compared to those previously enrolled in degree programs (50.1).
Fong added, “These findings are an important starting place for institutions that are serious about reorienting systems and institutional practice around the needs of adult learners. The data clearly shows that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work for this diverse population. Institutions must tailor their outreach, support, and program offerings to meet the unique needs and motivations of different adult learner segments.”
Conducted between June 7 and June 11, 2024, the survey by UPCEA and StraighterLine used an electronic questionnaire targeting individuals with some college experience but no credential, who have previously disengaged from higher education. This is the fourth in a series of studies conducted by StraighterLine and UPECA on the SCNC population since 2021. Click here to access the full whitepaper along with previous studies.
Material from a press release was used in this report.
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