More than 43 million adults in the U.S. have some college credit but no credential. This represents a significant opportunity for higher education leaders.

At the institutional level, it means there’s a group of learners who already chose your institution once. With the right re-enrollment strategies, you can bring them back to complete their degrees, boosting enrollment and expanding their economic opportunities in the process.

But how do you reach adults who stopped out? The answer lies in intentional, persistent, and data-informed outreach.

 Why outreach matters for stopped-out adult learners

Adult learners who stop out often feel disconnected from their former institutions. A single generic email isn’t enough to bring them back.

Consistent outreach acts as the bridge that reconnects and supports these individuals — addressing the barriers that caused them to leave while providing a clear path to completion. Each intentional communication, whether an email, phone call, text, or coaching session, is a touchpoint. These touchpoints build trust, provide information, and keep learners engaged. For the majority of adult learners, engaging with outreach is the first step toward finishing what they started.

What the data says about the path to re-enrollment

Ongoing, data-informed outreach motivates learners to take action. Rather than a single message sent before fall or spring enrollment, effective outreach is a sustained campaign throughout the year that keeps the conversation going. Results take time and consistency.

Here’s what ReUp data shows about the path to re-enrollment:

• 305 days — the average time from first contact to re-enrollment
• 27 touchpoints — the average number of interactions before a learner returns (22 for two-year colleges; 33 for four-year institutions)
• 2 in 5 — the number of adult learners who engage with outreach and eventually re-enroll; at some partner institutions, that rate is as high as three in five

Outreach in action: Partner results

When institutions commit to a coordinated outreach strategy, the results speak for themselves.

 County College of Morris

In partnership with ReUp, County College of Morris reached 7,365 adult learners and re-enrolled 545 of them in under a year, resulting in 45 graduates and $1.2 million in recovered tuition.

“Once we started working with ReUp, learners were responding almost immediately — engagement took off quickly.” — Pamela Marcenaro, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management, County College of Morris

 Thomas Edison State University

Through its ReUp partnership, Thomas Edison State University initiated more than 305,000 touchpoints — calls, texts, and emails — to re-engage stopped-out learners. In the first two years, that outreach led to 1,176 re-enrollments and 240 graduates, demonstrating the power of persistent, high-touch communication combined with personalized coaching.

 Ohio College Comeback Compact

This collaboration among eight public institutions in northeast Ohio was designed to reduce barriers to re-enrollment — particularly institutional debt — through a data-informed, multi-channel outreach approach. ReUp joined in the second year to scale personalized communication and targeted campaigns. In the first two years, the effort resulted in approximately $400,000 in institutional debt forgiveness and nearly $1.6 million in new tuition from re-enrolled learners.

 Outreach strategies that drive re-enrollment

Effective re-enrollment strategies are built on consistent communication, flexibility, and human support. These elements work together to keep learners engaged throughout the process.

Multi-channel and consistent communication

Adults are busy. Reaching them requires a multi-channel approach — emails, phone calls, texts, mailers, and social media — that makes it more likely your message is heard and gives learners multiple ways to respond.

ReUp data shows that email is a strong channel, reaching 39% of adult learners (41% at four-year colleges and 36% at two-year colleges). Personalized outreach campaigns and targeted digital ads can further strengthen results.

Flexible and responsive engagement

Barriers like registration holds and past-due balances can stop re-enrollment before it starts. Flexible payment plans and debt relief programs help remove those obstacles.

At Saginaw Valley State University, outreach efforts surfaced data-driven insights into why learners left and what motivated their return. In response, SVSU implemented flexible degree pathways, a new scholarship for re-enrolled adult learners, a pilot program for mid-semester course registration, and a grade forgiveness policy. All of these changes were designed to make returning more accessible.

Dedicated coaching and human support

A dedicated success coach or single point of contact creates a trusted relationship that leads to higher persistence. ReUp Success Coaches provide ongoing support — helping learners navigate financial aid, academic planning, and everything in between.

That human connection matters. It shows learners that your institution is genuinely invested in their success and ready to help them overcome whatever stands in their way.

Outreach is the foundation of re-enrollment success

Robust, sustained, and intentional outreach — backed by empathy and data — delivers real results. Institutions that invest in multi-channel campaigns and human-centered support consistently see measurable gains in re-enrollment.

In New Jersey, more than 13,500 adults re-enrolled in just two years through these strategies. That’s evidence that this approach makes a difference for individuals, institutions, and higher education as a whole.

To learn more about our work with adult learners and institutions, follow us on LinkedIn.