Imagine sitting at a table with five working adults. Statistically, one of them started college but never finished.

That reality has major implications for workforce development and economic growth. On a recent episode of the “Our American States” podcast, ReUp CEO Terah Crews discussed how states and institutions can re-engage adult learners and why this work matters far beyond higher ed enrollment numbers.

Here are the key insights from that conversation.

Stopped-out learners impact state economies

Across the U.S., 43 million adults have paused their college journeys without earning a credential. That affects more than their personal opportunities. It shapes state economies and workforce pipelines.

Re-engaging this population is essential for building a more equitable and competitive future. And for states, the opportunity to act is significant.

The power of language for adult learners

ReUp uses the term “stopout” instead of “dropout,” a small but meaningful distinction.

“We use the word ‘learner’ and we use the word ‘stopout’ in place of dropout because it suggests that it’s a pause,” Terah explained. “Slight shifts in wording can create a sense of, ‘I can do this,’ for adult learners.”

For policymakers and educators, that shift reframes the problem. Adult learners are not failures. They are people who paused — often for reasons beyond their control — and who deserve a system that welcomes them back.

Why adult learners pause may matter less than what keeps them away

Many assume learners who stop out couldn’t handle the academics. The data tells a different story.

“The most commonly reported issue is financial burden,” Terah said. “But if you take that at face value, it really misses the point. What’s really driving it is some external stressor.” That might be a sick parent, the birth of a child, or a shift in work demands.

Once a learner has been out for a year, the original reason for leaving matters less than today’s reality: debt holds, lack of childcare, rigid class schedules, and the belief that college no longer fits who they are. Addressing these real-world barriers is essential for creating genuine pathways back.

States can provide a pathway back to college

Centralized state strategies can broaden opportunities for adult learners and drive significant results. When states take the lead, learners aren’t simply funneled back to their original institutions they gain access to more pathways that fit their current lives.

“It’s really impactful when state policymakers get involved,” Terah noted. “With a statewide strategy, you could map someone who left engineering into a welding program — and that’s a really great job that contributes to the economy.”

New Jersey’s Office of the Secretary of Higher Education offers a strong proof of concept. Its Some College, No Degree initiative helped more than 12,000 learners re-enroll in less than three years, delivering both tuition revenue and broader workforce benefits.

States and institutions need to look beyond “potential completers”

A common misconception in higher education is that only learners who are a few credits shy of graduating are likely to return and finish. In reality, adults, regardless of how long they’ve been away or how many credits they have left, can and do succeed when states and institutions offer flexible, inclusive pathways.

Policies that include debt relief, streamlined credit transfer, and adaptable formats expand opportunity to a much broader group.

“The great myth about this population is that you can only get the low-hanging fruit back,” Terah said. “But you can make an impact at a really big scale.”

Why states need an adult learner strategy

Bringing adult learners back to higher education is about more than boosting enrollment. It’s a workforce and economic development strategy.

The National Conference of State Legislators Task Force on Higher Education has called on states to treat re-engagement of adult learners as a core strategy backed by widespread, coordinated investment and supportive policy.

“This isn’t just about higher ed enrollment decline,” Terah said. “It represents an opportunity for the workforce pipeline, for state coffers, and for people to get value out of something they started but didn’t finish.”

States that act on this opportunity won’t just help learners complete their degrees. They’ll strengthen communities for generations to come.

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