In 2018, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) launched the Degrees When Due (DWD) initiative. The goal was to reengage stopped-out students, provide targeted support
to improve degree completion, and award degrees to students who had earned sufficient credits to graduate.
Using evidence-based and equity-minded strategies to support degree reclamation, more than 200 colleges and universities across 23 states participated in this initiative from 2018 to 2021.
According to IHEP, degree reclamation focuses on two approaches: adult reengagement and reverse credit transfer.
Adult reengagement refers to retroactively awarding degrees to students who have met their degree requirements and identifying strategies to support the re-enrollment of students who are near completion.
Reverse credit transfer ensures students are awarded an associate degree even after transferring from a two-year to a four-year institution. This is possible when a four-year institution applies earned credits back to the two-year institution
from which a student transferred.
In partnership with the University of Utah, IHEP recently released the results of the DWD initiative in a report titled, “Lighting the Path to Remove Systemic Barriers in Higher Education and Award Earned Postsecondary Credentials.”
This extensive report highlights the DWD framework and history, barriers to re-enrollment and persistence that returning adult students face, research findings from the initiative, and a comprehensive list of recommendations for practitioners and
policymakers to consider.
Degrees When Due Research Findings
Data collected throughout the project provide valuable insights into the outcomes of implementing degree reclamation strategies on college campuses and the institutional barriers adult learners face as they strive for completion. Specifically:
Of the 170,000 students in the DWD network who were potentially eligible to earn a degree, 10,700 have now attained a degree, and almost 3,000 are on track to do so.
1 in 10 near-completers who were contacted by a DWD institution re-enrolled, and 42% of them are a semester or two away from completion.
Students who had earned their credentials but not received them often encountered nonacademic barriers to having their degrees awarded. These included incomplete paperwork, lack of consent or response, and financial holds.
62% of these students were ready to graduate but had not completed a graduation application.
14% of the students in this group had a financial hold that prevented them from receiving their degree.
21% did not complete an opt-in consent form to have their degree conferred, despite meeting all the qualifications to receive their credential.
The most common barriers near-completers experienced to securing their degree were academic requirements, such as completing major-specific and general education courses.
Almost 30% of this group was missing general education courses, and 14% of students were missing a math requirement.
While academic and nonacademic barriers (i.e., paperwork) presented challenges for all students, demographic data suggested that large proportions of this population were students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.
Of the students awarded a degree through degree reclamation, almost half were students of color, 46% were low-income, and 52% were women.
Black and low-income near-completers were disproportionately more likely to have remaining course and math requirements and unique institutional graduation requirements than any other group.
Latinx near-completers were more likely to experience financial and registration holds than other racial and ethnic groups.
Students from low-income backgrounds were overrepresented in almost every category of nonacademic barriers (e.g., registration holds, financial holds, academic standing).
Student Perspectives on Obstacles and Supports
In addition to these findings, the DWD team collected data from student focus groups at the participating institutions. This helped shine a light on why students withdraw and stop out from their programs, what motivates them to come back, and what they
need to be successful.
The focus group results suggest that students left their programs because they needed to reprioritize their professional, personal, and family obligations due to employment needs and family responsibilities. Those who returned did so because they wanted
to serve as role models for their family members, or they needed a degree for a promotion or other employment opportunity.
When asked about what they needed to succeed, returning students mentioned expanded flexible course offerings, the option to earn credit for prior learning (CPL), and more assistance from academic advisers who have a strong understanding of their particular needs.
Key Takeaways for Institutions of Higher Education
By tapping into student voices and the evaluative data, members of the DWD network have been able to rethink and reimagine how they support returning and near-completing students' success. With many lessons learned, the authors of the report share a concrete
list of recommendations for stakeholders to consider when facilitating this type of work:
Degree reclamation efforts require institution-wide commitments to short-term and long-term policy changes to support returning and near-completion students.
Invest in high-quality data practices and systems that allow individuals to identify barriers to students' success and areas of change.
Review, identify, and remove any outdated graduation requirements that can negatively impact a student’s degree completion. For example, institutions should consider removing opt-in consent policies and graduation applications so that students can
get their degrees conferred automatically.
Resolve financial holds. Data from the DWD project has shown that, in particular, financial holds present barriers for Black, Latinx, and low-income student populations in accessing records, re-enrolling, and earning unawarded credentials.
Implement routine degree audits to ensure that current students stay on track to graduate and receive the degrees they have earned. Advisers and staff must improve communication with students about their progress toward degree completion.
Take a student-centered approach to support adult learners as they complete their degrees holistically. Examples include consistent scheduling options aligned with students' work schedules and expanded childcare services and resources to support student
parents.
We encourage our readers to take a deeper dive into the report. It has a lot to offer, including testimonials from institutional leaders about how this work has impacted their perspectives and approaches to supporting students on their campuses. Initiatives
like Degrees When Due are a catalyst for promoting equity in degree attainment for first-generation students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students of color.
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