Areas for Further Research

Many different organizations and stakeholders are working to re-enroll adult learners in community colleges. We documented efforts at the institutional, nonprofit, business, and state levels. However, further research is needed to identify the most effective strategies for supporting community colleges in these re-enrollment efforts and helping adult learners persist and complete credentials that align with in-demand jobs.

In the absence of extensive research, colleges and states have implemented approaches they believe will work, with mixed results. Lingering research questions include:

• Which outreach methods generate the most engagement with potential re-enrollees?
• What value-based messaging resonates most with potential re-enrollees?
• How does the availability of accelerated, flexible programs and stackable pathways influence re-enrollment decisions and promote persistence?
• Are financial incentives, such as debt forgiveness, canceled fees and fines, and scholarships, effective in motivating re-enrollment? What is the return on investment for such programs?
• Which advising models are most effective for supporting adult learners, from pre-enrollment through completion?

The availability of data is crucial to studying the effectiveness of re-enrollment strategies; however, more research is needed on how to support community colleges in effectively collecting, storing, and using this information. Institutions need guidance on what data to collect and update from current students that will enable outreach if a student stops out. They also need to understand how to use data to identify and contact students who are likely to return, as well as what information to track for adult re-enrollees to measure persistence and outcomes. Addressing these questions is crucial to enhancing re-enrollment efforts and supporting adult learners through to completion.

Some states have implemented statewide re-enrollment programs, but questions remain about their effectiveness. How many students should states aim to re-enroll? How should states design these programs to ensure their goals are accomplished? Research is needed to understand how financial sustainability can be built into these programs, to ensure consistent funding and allow states to expand initiatives while providing colleges with the flexibility to adapt strategies to their local contexts. Identifying the partnerships necessary to successfully run and implement statewide programs is also essential to their long-term success.

Finally, more research is needed to understand the motivations and barriers faced by the students themselves. Implementing re-enrollment strategies does not always guarantee increased participation, as adult learners often contend with life circumstances that influence their decision to return to school. Research is needed to determine how programs can be made more appealing to adult learners and how barriers to re-enrollment can be addressed through these programs. In particular, the effectiveness of advising that connects students to wraparound services, such as child care, financial aid counseling, and transportation, should be studied, as these supports may play a critical role in both re-enrollment decisions and persistence.