New issue brief recommends strategies to re-enroll adults with some college but no credential

April 30, 2025

A new issue brief by Ithaka S+R explores why an estimated 557,000 Kentuckians with some college credit but no degree have not re-enrolled in postsecondary education. The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) worked with Ithaka S+R to better understand the challenges and successes experienced by both institutions and students when learners return. The brief, "Supporting Adult Learner Engagement in Kentucky," offers context and solutions related to unpaid balances, transcript withholding and administrative holds for returning learners.

“Kentucky’s goal is for 60 percent of adults to have a college credential by the year 2030, up from the current level of 56 percent,” said Dr. Aaron Thompson, CPE President. “Re-engaging the half million Kentuckians who left school without a credential will be critical to reaching our goal.”

When a stopped out student owes money, the college often places an administrative hold on their account until the debt is paid. A registration hold, for example, prevents a student from re-enrolling. While institutions are not in the financial position to resolve all debt, there are ways to work with students to provide more flexibility and simplify bureaucratic processes.

Elizabeth Looker, Senior Program Manager at Ithaka S+R, explains: “Through our research collaboration with CPE, we identified a range of actionable opportunities—both big and small—for postsecondary institutions to address the administrative and financial barriers that prevent adult learners from enrolling. By implementing these recommendations, colleges and universities across Kentucky can increase enrollment, support more adults in earning high-quality credentials and strengthen the state’s economy.”

The brief recommends that institutions identify ways to remove enrollment barriers through adjustments such as auditing existing holds on student accounts, offering flexible payment plans to adults wishing to re-enroll and creating debt forgiveness programs that dismiss some or all unpaid balances as students accumulate additional credits toward a degree. For example, the University of Louisville’s Comeback Cards program allows students who owe less than $4,000 to earn up to $1,000 per semester if they re-enroll and complete at least 12 credit hours a term.

CPE will host a webinar on June 13 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the brief’s findings and recommended actions for campuses seeking to support adult learners as they begin or complete a college credential. To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/U3lOezZaSQ-Mt4502NW7Ug#/registration. 

Ithaka S+R is a national research organization that aims to broaden access to quality postsecondary education, improve student outcomes and advance research and knowledge. CPE’s collaboration with Ithaka S+R is made possible by generous funding from Lumina Foundation and The Kresge Foundation.