By Chris Butcher, Associate Director of Transfer Advising and Success, Eastern Kentucky University
Rarely is the road to a baccalaureate degree linear for adult and transfer students. They face unique challenges, complex pathways, and disruptions to their intentions that prevent them from achieving their goals.
So, how do we better support these students to ensure enrollment and continued degree attainment?
The Enrollment Cliff: National Coverage
The enrollment cliff is looming across the United States. National projections suggest that beginning in 2025, higher education institutions will experience a stark decline in traditional-aged students due to lower birth rates in the past. Institutions are thinking critically about the future of enrollment—some turning to adult and transfer student re-engagement.
In Kentucky, the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) has set a significant goal: 60% of Kentuckians will have a postsecondary credential by 2030. The enrollment cliff may contribute to this push, but there’s also an anticipation of what I call the “workforce mountain”—jobs will increasingly require additional higher education credentials. The Lumina Foundation's goal of 60% credential attainment by 2025 highlights how states are preparing for this workforce demand.
National Trend: Workforce Development
Kentucky is just one of many states reflecting a larger national trend. The workforce demand projections in Kentucky show that by 2031, 63% of jobs will require some form of higher education.
Competency-based education (CBE) has gained traction, providing flexible pathways for students who need to balance education with other responsibilities. Online initiatives from institutions like Eastern Kentucky University or scaling hybrid options like those at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) are more than a regional approach.
Revisiting Support for Adult Learners
Traditional-age students have long been the gold standard of recruitment efforts. Many students have multiple entry and exit points on their educational roadmap, often in the form of military service, family obligations, employment, or financial challenges. Historically, some higher education institutions have not focused as heavily on these populations. However, support initiatives have already begun.
For example, the Tennessee Reconnect program provides free tuition for adults returning to school. The University of Louisville’s debt forgiveness program, Comeback Cards, alleviates up to $4,000 in debt for returning students. Programs like these, combined with federal efforts to expand Pell Grant eligibility and forgive student loan debt, highlight the importance of adult learners in meeting national workforce needs.
Unveiling The Potential of Transfer Students
Despite high intention, transfer students ultimately don’t have high baccalaureate degree outcomes. In fact, in the community college landscape alone, 80% of community college students aim to earn a bachelor’s degree, but only about one-third transfer to four-year institutions, and less than half end up graduating with a bachelor’s degree, according to the Community College Research Center (CCRC).
Programs expanding guaranteed admission, such as those of the Aspen Institute, Hosto’s Community College Peer Mentoring Program, and several other institutions, will aid in increasing student movement and, ultimately, their success.
It Doesn’t End with Recruitment
It’s not enough to begin and end at recruitment. Retention strategies must be tailored to the specific needs of our adult and transfer student populations. Flexible learning options, support services meeting their unique situations or needs, and specific paths that ease the burden on students who “stop-out” or re-enter should be considered.
Institutions that begin to adopt a student mindset and realize the impact of institutional agents (e.g., staff, faculty, and advisors) have the chance to not only meet statewide goals, such as Kentucky has, but also see a notable difference in the way they are serving their students and communities.