The 2024 National College Attainment Network (NCAN) National Conference was filled to the brim with workshops, roundtables, and plenaries
about all things college access. “The College Comeback: Strategies to Get Students Back on the Postsecondary Path”
session shared innovative ways community-based organizations, states, and higher education institutions are breaking down barriers to reengage students in postsecondary education.
Catalina Cifuentes, Executive Director of the Riverside County Office of Education and NCAN Board President, opened the session
by reminding the audience about the number of high school graduates who intended to go to college yet did not due to the pandemic. In fact, the percentage of students in Riverside County who enrolled in college in the fall immediately after high school
dropped 7.4% from the class of 2019 to 2020. Cifuentes’ remarks were followed by presentations highlighting specific state and university reengagement initiatives from across the country. Let’s take a look at what they are up to!
LA College Comeback
In Los Angeles (CA) County, 51% of residents have a high school diploma, but no postsecondary degree and 830,288 residents ages 25-54 have some college but no degree, said Marcos Montes, Policy Director at the Southern California College Attainment Network (SoCal CAN). Because of this, SoCal CAN launched the LA College Comeback campaign to reengage these students.
Through one-on-one college advising, Comeback Students meet regularly with an Education Navigator who helps them create their Postsecondary Academic Plan and ensures that students’ financial aid applications and packages are complete and accurate.
In addition, the program’s strong outreach and communication strategies make use of social media’s paid advertising to get the word out about the program to its target populations.
Reengaging Adults in Michigan
Jamie Jacobs, the Michigan College Access Network’s (MCAN) Deputy Director, shared information about how they are leveraging the power of the state’s growing retired educator population to reengage
students. MCAN’s Retired Educator FAFSA Specialists (REFS) program aims to contribute to the state’s 60 by 30 goal by utilizing retired school counselors’ and education professionals’ college access expertise to guide adults looking to engage or reengage in postsecondary education. Given Michigan’s Reconnect program which allows anyone 21 or older to attend community college tuition-free, REFS are a crucial asset in helping adults complete their Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs), apply for Michigan Reconnect,
and navigate the college-going process.
NCAN recently interviewed MCAN’s Patrick Brown who is leading the efforts behind the REFS program and will be sharing a blog post that dives deeper into the program with our members soon.
Sacramento State University’s “Comebacker” Model
There are many programs and initiatives that try to engage adults in postsecondary education, and they are often very successful at getting them there! However, a larger question comes into play when adult learners are supported to enroll in college but
do not receive support from the institution in which they enroll. Sacramento State’s Comebacker Model changes this! Dr. Jenni Murphy, Senior Innovation Fellow and Dean at Sacramento State, explained that by providing direct service to enrollment ready
adults and partnering with higher education institutions ready to serve their adult learners, the Comebacker Model creates workforce ready adults. This model utilizes crucial partnerships
that can leave a lasting impact on California’s workforce ready population.
Whether they be students with some college and no degree or students who did not attend college due to the pandemic, there is a growing population of students who had the intention of obtaining a college degree yet did not. This presents a great opportunity
for states, universities, and schools to engage these students back to postsecondary education and take the skills and credentials they earn back to the workforce.
NCAN highlights programs and policies like the ones described above so other states, CBOs, and schools can replicate them in their own communities. If you would like to learn more or connect with the hard-working leaders of any of these programs, please
contact Alessandra Cipriani-Detres at alessandra@ncan.org.
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