Success Coaches Lead to Re-Enrolled Students

Campaigns and Research Help Overcome Barriers to College Access

Nationwide, more than 17 million students enrolled in colleges and universities in fall 2021, according to the latest research. Unfortunately, it is not at all uncommon for students to enter college but never complete their degree.

In the wake of the largest enrollment declines in decades, a growing number of states, institutions, systems, and nonprofits have launched campaigns to re-engage former students, help them finish a degree or credential, and improve their long-term economic prospects. InsideTrack recently announced results from its efforts to re-enroll stopped-out students across 25 institutions during 2021.

According to InsideTrack’s preliminary data, colleges and universities that deployed success coaches were able to contact 27,000 former students and help 3,000 of them ultimately register for courses — with 73% of those students coming from underserved or underrepresented backgrounds.

“The startling enrollment declines and disruption of the past two years have created new barriers to college access and enrollment that few would have imagined. We can’t let these reverse the hard-earned progress toward improving access, equity, and completion in higher education,” said Ruth Bauer White, president of InsideTrack, in a press release. “As colleges and universities chart a path toward a more sustainable recovery, these results show that re-enrollment is effective not just as an institutional strategy, but as a lever for helping students fulfill their aspirations in higher education and the workforce.”

Clearinghouse Chief Data Officer Roberta Hyland stated in a previous blog post, “This uncertain environment is an important opportunity to rethink how educational institutions can leverage data so they can do the most for their students. Through our expertise and scale, the Clearinghouse helps schools with data and analysis that is effective, efficient, and ready-made.”

The work appears to be paying off. According to the Research Center, the national six-year completion rate for the 2015 cohort reached 62.2%, a 1.2 percentage point increase over the 2014 cohort. The six-year completion rates increased in 32 out of the 46 states with sufficient data, compared to the prior year when completion rates only increased in 12 out of 46 states.

To learn how the Clearinghouse’s research, data, and services can help your students and institution, contact us.

“As colleges and universities chart a path toward a more sustainable recovery, these results show that re-enrollment is effective not just as an institutional strategy, but as a lever for helping students fulfill their aspirations in higher education and the workforce.”

Ruth Bauer White
President, InsideTrack

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