Arizona Wants Former Students Back in College

Nearly 770,000 Arizonans have college credits (and often some debt) but no degree to show for it. This is understandable—college is a big commitment and the real world is always calling. 

Now, through the AZ Comeback Initiative, the Arizona Board of Regents, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona are working to help them return and finally complete the degrees they started.

The consequences of leaving college prematurely can linger for years. After all, these Arizonans have all of the drawbacks of a college education without the full disciplinary training or social signaling of a completed diploma. Helping these former students finish their studies is a worthwhile endeavor. But it has to be done right.  

The stakes are substantial. For reference, fewer than half of working-age adults in Arizona have earned a college degree or certificate, according to the University of Arizona. At the same time, the Arizona Board of Regents estimates that nearly 67% of jobs in the state will require college-level education or training beyond high school by 2030. Arizona needs workers with the right skills, and if its education system does not deliver them, everyone loses out. That is bad business. There is a practical incentive for universities as well: bringing former students back through the door helps boost enrollment (we all know the enrollment cliff is coming) and puts already earned college credit to use. 

Most adults cannot just put the rest of their lives on hold to go back to college. Anyone who has tried to write a paper at 10 p.m. after a full day of work knows how hard this is. But the state is working to shatter those barriers.

More specifically, Arizona State University is building on its Project Finish Now and Project Start Back programs, which use personalized coaching, targeted scholarships, and outreach, with a focus on pushing students who are within two semesters of graduating over the finish line. Through a separate program, Operation Comeback, ASU is offering returning students $100 per credit toward campus programs or $120 per credit toward online ones, plus another $1,000 for those who have already earned more than 90 credits.

Northern Arizona University is putting a little money behind its effort to bring former students back. Through its expanded Jacks on Track program, the university is testing a guaranteed $500 financial incentive for a select group of students. Five hundred dollars will not cover tuition, but it might cover the car repair that would otherwise end someone’s semester. The university hopes to find out whether putting money directly into students’ hands can help more of them stay in school and reach graduation.

The University of Arizona is prioritizing students who left more recently while directing others toward its extensive online programs.. Through its existing Back2UA program, students who left the university in good academic standing and missed no more than two consecutive regular semesters can return without paying an application fee or facing additional administrative barriers. Waiving a fee sounds minor, but small hurdles are often what stop people. The university is also launching a separate re-engagement effort to identify Arizona residents with previous university credits and guide them toward completing their degrees through Arizona Online. Eligible students will receive individualized success coaching, academic and financial support, as well as a scholarship funded by the Helios Foundation covering the cost of their first returning class.

For adults who have spent years building careers, raising families or managing other responsibilities, returning to assignments and deadlines can be a difficult adjustment. Andrew Whitehead, executive director of the Distance Learning Centre, warns that many adult learners underestimate how much time studying requires. He also points to the tendency to tackle academic challenges alone rather than asking tutors or classmates for help. Nobody enjoys being the oldest person in the room asking a basic question, but it beats failing the class or not finishing. Re-enrollment numbers look good in a press release. Diplomas are what pay off. It remains to be seen whether Arizona’s programs will produce more graduates, but they are as good a place to start as any.

Reagan Allen is the North Carolina reporter for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.