The great return: State-funded programs like Michigan Reconnect help millions
The great return: State-funded programs like Michigan Reconnect help millions of Americans with 'some college, no degree' finish what they started. Michigan Reconnect

In Michigan, 31-year-old Sarah Martinez had spent seven years working retail jobs since leaving community college in 2018. Like millions of Americans, she had some college credits but no degree—until Michigan Reconnect changed everything.

"I never thought I'd go back," Martinez says. "But when I heard the state would cover tuition and give me a navigator to help me through, I finally felt like I could finish what I started."

Martinez is part of an unprecedented wave reshaping American higher education. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, over one million adults returned to college during the 2023-24 academic year—the highest re-enrollment figure ever recorded.

By the Numbers

  • 43.1 million Americans have some college credit but no degree
  • 1+ million adults re-enrolled in 2023-24, the highest on record
  • 42 states and DC saw increases in re-enrollment
  • Massachusetts led with 35.2% increase in re-enrollment
  • 66.7% of stop-outs are under age 35

Source: National Student Clearinghouse

The Stop-Out Crisis Meets the Labor Market Squeeze

The timing couldn't be more critical. As employers project only a 1.6% increase in hiring for new college graduates in 2026, the economy faces a paradox: companies desperately need skilled workers, but millions of Americans remain trapped between their unfinished education and career advancement.

"We're sitting on an untapped talent pool of epic proportions," says Dr. Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse. "These aren't people who failed at college—they're adults who hit a bump in the road and just need a pathway back."

The demographics tell a compelling story. Nearly two-thirds of stop-out students last attended community colleges, institutions that traditionally serve working adults and non-traditional learners. These students didn't leave because of academic failure—they left because of financial pressure, family obligations, or life circumstances that made continuing impossible.

State Programs Lead the Charge

What's changed? States have stopped leaving re-enrollment efforts solely to individual institutions and started coordinating comprehensive, statewide initiatives that combine funding, technology, and personalized support.

Michigan Reconnect

Offers free in-district community college tuition to residents aged 25 and older without a degree. The program provides dedicated "Reconnect Navigators" who serve as single points of contact throughout the re-enrollment journey.

Results: Approximately 70% of participants remain enrolled year-over-year. Men in the program complete 85% of attempted credits and are 18 percentage points more likely to stay enrolled than non-Reconnect men.

Source: American Institute for Boys and Men

Massachusetts MassReconnect & MassTransfer

Streamlines credit transfers and offers associate degrees or certificates retroactively to students who completed sufficient coursework but never finished a credential.

Results: Massachusetts saw a nationwide-leading 35.2% increase in re-enrollment in 2023-24.

Source: National Student Clearinghouse

Colorado CORE Initiative

Allows public four-year institutions to award associate degrees to students who stopped out in the last decade with 70 credit hours under their belt—without requiring re-enrollment.

Results: Despite having the 20th-largest stop-out population, Colorado had the 7th-highest number of first credential earners, with 2,100 awards in 2023-24 (up 1,200 from the previous year).

Source: National Student Clearinghouse

Tennessee Reconnect

Provides personalized support through dedicated navigators who guide students through re-enrollment and continue supporting them after they return to campus.

Mississippi Complete 2 Compete

Uses the state's data system to identify near-completers and engages them through personalized advertising, social media, direct mail, and email outreach.

Results: 1,127 learners currently enrolled; 3,057 degrees awarded to date.

Source: Workforce Monitor

What Works: The Three-Pillar Approach

Research from ReUp Education and the Bipartisan Policy Center has identified three critical components for successful re-engagement programs:

1. Affordability

Cost remains the single biggest barrier. A Lumina Foundation survey found that 63% of stop-outs said free tuition would encourage their return, while 58% cited free textbooks and course materials as crucial.

"We can't just tell people to come back and expect them to find a way to pay," explains Terah Crews, CEO of ReUp Education. "Financial aid programs designed for 18-year-olds don't address the reality of a 32-year-old parent working full-time."

2. Personalized Navigation

Stop-out students face unique challenges—from resolving stranded credits and outstanding balances to navigating changed degree requirements. Programs that provide dedicated advisors see dramatically better outcomes.

At Florida State University, a dedicated half-time position focused solely on students who completed more than 100 semester hours provides consistent support and institutional knowledge that accelerates degree completion.

3. Flexible Pathways

Online programs, hybrid schedules, competency-based education, and credit for prior learning make it possible for working adults to fit education into already-full lives.

"I'm taking two classes online and one hybrid," Martinez says. "I couldn't do this if I had to be on campus every day. I work 30 hours a week and have two kids."

The Equity Imperative

While overall re-enrollment is rising, significant gaps remain. Men are 29% more likely than women to stop out and 32% less likely to re-enroll. In Michigan, Tennessee, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Louisiana, re-enrollment programs enroll roughly twice as many women as men.

Racial disparities also persist in outcomes. While Black and multiracial undergraduate enrollments saw the largest increases among demographic groups (10.3% and 8.5% respectively in Spring 2024), persistence rates after re-enrollment remain lower for students of color compared to White and Asian students.

"Minority students represent a disproportionately larger share of the stop-out population compared to the current undergraduate population," notes the National Student Clearinghouse. "Getting them back is only half the battle—we need to ensure they can finish."

The Workforce Connection

The push to re-enroll stop-outs isn't just about educational attainment—it's about economic survival. As ZipRecruiter's 2026 labor market analysis reveals, the U.S. faces significant demographic constraints on labor supply, with an aging workforce and reduced immigration creating critical skills gaps.

Particularly in healthcare, where demand is surging, the pipeline of trained professionals depends on accessible educational pathways. Undergraduate certificate programs, which rose 4.8% in 2024 and now stand 20% above 2020 levels, represent one solution—but only if adult learners can access them.

88% of entry-level jobs no longer explicitly mention college degree requirements in job descriptions, yet employers increasingly value the skills and credentials that college provides.

Source: ZipRecruiter Economic Research

Barriers That Remain

Despite record re-enrollment, challenges persist. The stop-out population continues to grow faster than re-enrollment rates. Between January 2022 and July 2023, 2.1 million new students stopped out—far outpacing the one million who returned.

Key obstacles include:

  • Outstanding balances: The Ohio College Comeback Compact addresses this by providing up to $5,000 in debt forgiveness for students with unpaid balances who re-enroll at participating institutions.
  • Stranded credits: Many students completed substantial coursework that doesn't easily transfer or apply to changed degree requirements.
  • Competing priorities: Work, family, childcare, and elder care responsibilities make traditional enrollment models impossible for many adults.
  • Fear and stigma: Some students worry about returning to an institution where they previously struggled or left under difficult circumstances.

The Path Forward

As traditional college enrollment faces continued pressure and the widely-discussed "enrollment cliff" begins to materialize in 2026, institutions can no longer afford to ignore the 43 million Americans with some college but no degree.

"These students represent institutional investment already made," says Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. "They're not starting from zero—they just need a bridge to the finish line."

For states, the calculus is equally clear. As 46 states have specific postsecondary attainment goals, stop-outs represent the most efficient path to reaching those targets. They've already demonstrated commitment to higher education and need less foundational support than first-time students.

"They're reviving college aspirations that had been put on hold years before. And states and institutions are working to make it even easier for more students to do so in the future."
— Doug Shapiro, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center

Stories of Success

Back in Michigan, Sarah Martinez is now six months from completing her associate degree in business administration. She's already been promoted at work based on skills from her coursework, and she's planning to continue toward a bachelor's degree.

"I used to think I was someone who started things and didn't finish them," she reflects. "Now I know I was just someone who needed the right support at the right time."

Across the country, a million others are writing similar stories—proof that second chances in higher education aren't just possible, they're transforming lives, strengthening the workforce, and redefining what it means to be a college student in 2026.

Resources for Stop-Out Students

Looking to return to college? Check if your state has a re-enrollment program:

National Resources: