Bringing Stopped-Out Students Back to College

Adults with some college credit but no credential represent a growing population nationwide. In Michigan, more than 1.2 million adults have earned some credits but not finished a degree, and about 38,000 more stop out each year, according to a new report from ReUp Education.

The report found that state leaders see this population as key to reaching Michigan’s goal of increasing the share of adults with a credential to 60 percent by 2030. To tackle this challenge, Michigan has partnered with ReUp—an organization that helps adults who previously stopped out of college re-enroll and complete their degrees—to develop programs and resources to reconnect these learners with higher education.

Central to the effort is the state’s re-enrollment marketplace, which brings together 18 public institutions to centralize outreach and provide personalized coaching. The initiative has led to more than 13,900 re-enrollments and over 1,700 graduates, generating an estimated $57 million in tuition revenue for participating colleges.

Terah Crews, chief executive officer of ReUp Education, said a key challenge in re-engaging this population is that after “a year or two, they no longer identify as a student.”

“They could be 23, 24, 25 or even 35 years old—they’ve moved on,” Crews said. “What we’ve learned is that there are a few critical components to not just helping those who fit into that ‘low-hanging fruit’ category, but reaching all of them.”

How it works: Over the past eight years, ReUp has expanded from individual college partnerships to a statewide effort in Michigan, which involves developing models in collaboration with various state organizations that support different populations.

The first model is the Re-Enroll With Reconnect program, funded by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). It works with 12 community colleges to re-engage learners ages 21 to 24 through targeted outreach and personalized coaching.

The second model, in partnership with the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU), focuses on re-engaging stopped-out learners and boosting enrollment across six of the state’s public universities.

The third model partners with individual institutions outside MiLEAP and MASU that support re-enrollment directly, notably Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Henry Ford College. Both institutions, which participate in the Re-Enroll With Reconnect program, have expanded their efforts to include students under 21 and over 25.

Through this statewide effort, the report found that more than 200,000 of Michigan’s stopped-out residents now have access to ReUp’s re-enrollment platform and coaching.

Crews said that re-engaging these learners requires combining human support with technology and data at scale.

“You need a coaching solution that is not just human, but fully integrates technology, with unfettered access to real people,” Crews said. “Where we’ve approached this differently is by taking a statewide strategy—not thinking just human or just technology, but investing in both to build a full-service, end-to-end solution that can operate at scale.”

Mounting financial pressure: The report found that the growing number of students who do not complete their degrees represents an estimated $380 million in annual state funding spent on students who stopped out. Roughly 42,000 Michigan residents are enrolled online at out-of-state institutions, redirecting an estimated $400 million in annual tuition revenue outside the state. Together, these trends represent a “substantial financial and economic challenge for Michigan’s higher education system and talent pipeline,” the report said.

“Most learners who stop out stay within their state, but they move around and often need to switch institutions—meaning they go to a community college or change programs or attend a school closer to their home,” Crews said. “Without intervention, many of these learners end up enrolling in out-of-state online institutions.”

Michigan is projected to face a 20 percent decline in high school graduates by 2041, shrinking freshman classes and intensifying competition for traditional-age students. As fewer students enter the system, the report said, the need to re-engage adults who have stopped out of college becomes increasingly urgent.

Crews said that effort includes addressing relatively small financial barriers that can prevent students from re-enrolling.

“They have $100 of outstanding parking tickets or schools require a $50 application fee. It seems small compared to the overall cost of college, but these are meaningful barriers that keep people from building momentum and returning,” Crews said. “That’s why long-term engagement and sustained support for learners are critical.”

Why it matters: Crews said the current economic climate for higher education institutions makes re-engaging adult learners even more vital.

“It’s really important to institutions because they’re trying to figure out how to plug holes in their budgets. If they can do that while also making an impact, that’s a win,” Crews said.

“What tops the list for them is the workforce pipeline,” she added. “They look at this adult learner population and see people they’ve already invested in who haven’t fully been able to participate in the economy. If they can provide a pathway to financial security and economic mobility … it becomes a double bottom-line benefit.”

Michigan’s model could be replicated in other states, Crews said, but it requires strong statewide coordination.

“Are there people within the state who have the ability to convene, develop and influence, and to help shepherd or advocate for the solution?” Crews said. “The truth is this is possible in any state in the country.”

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