How New Jersey Drives Economic Growth by Re-engaging Their Adult Learners
Short on time? Get an at-a-glance view of this impactful partnership.
New Jersey has faced a significant higher education challenge: more than 840,000 residents—over one in ten adults—earned college credit but left without a credential. This not only left individual ambitions unfulfilled but also represented a substantial economic opportunity cost for the state. Every year, the absence of these degrees amounted to millions lost in added economic growth, tax revenue, and workforce development.
Determined to reverse this trend, the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) prioritized degree attainment and workforce preparedness as central to both individual and state prosperity. In 2022, this commitment led to an innovative partnership with ReUp Education, forging a formal strategy to re-engage and re-enroll adults with some college, no degree (SCND) at scale.
Key metrics since 2023
13,500+
1,400+
$74M
$128M
The challenge: Barriers to re-enrollment
New Jersey adults with some college credit often demonstrated a strong desire to complete their education but encountered persistent barriers:
New Jersey adults with some college credit often demonstrated a strong desire to complete their education but encountered persistent barriers:
- Financial constraints: 51% of surveyed learners cited cost as the primary obstacle.
- Time management: 21% struggled to balance work, family, and academic demands.
- Uncertain pathways: Many lacked information or guidance to navigate institutional processes, leaving them disconnected from support.
These barriers also coincide with resource strains on higher education institutions as traditional enrollment pipelines shrink and limit their ability to engage this diverse population at scale. On average, it takes 24 touch points (texts, emails, meetings) before a stopped out learner re-enrolls. Analysis revealed that re-engaging just 5–10% of the SCND population could yield thousands of new graduates and provide a substantial boost to New Jersey’s economy. Each additional credential earned projected an annual contribution of $137,793 to the state GDP—almost $1.5 million over a graduate’s lifetime.
The need was clear: a comprehensive, statewide solution that could coordinate outreach, streamline support, and empower adults to return and complete their journeys.
The solution: Partnership for adult learner success
Recognizing the depth of this challenge, OSHE sought a partner with expertise in re-engaging adult learners and delivering measurable results. ReUp Education responded with a holistic framework, uniquely tailored to the realities faced by this population. “Behind every data point is a New Jersey resident who made the courageous decision to return to school,” said Dr. Stefani Thachik, Senior Advisor for NJ OSHE. “What sets this partnership apart is the human support that learners receive, coaches who listen, guide, and walk with them through challenges like cost, time, and confidence. By creating a system truly built around adult learners, we’re helping people finish what they started and build a more secure future for themselves and their families.”
A statewide marketplace for collaboration and support
In April 2023, OSHE and ReUp launched the nation’s first statewide re-enrollment marketplace—an integrated, data-driven ecosystem that ultimately connected 22 institutions, including 11 two-year and 11 four-year schools. Key features of the ReUp solution include:
- Centralized access: One infrastructure connects learners and institutions statewide, providing a unified journey from first outreach to graduation.
- Human-centered support: At the core of ReUp’s approach is one-on-one Success Coaching. Every learner has access to a dedicated coach who listens, motivates, and guides them through academic and personal hurdles—from financial aid to time management to building confidence after time away. This focus on the individual learner ensures that every step of the journey—from outreach to graduation—is designed to maximize success.
- Proven technology: ReUp’s learner platform offers a seamless entry point for learners to discover and compare programs, with accessibility and guidance at every stage.
- Actionable data and insights: ReUp delivers robust analytics to institutions and to OSHE, illuminating both barriers and opportunities. These insights guide policy development, process improvement, and targeted interventions to drive continuous success.
This partnership model ensures alignment with New Jersey’s goal of increased degree attainment among working-age residents, and provides the infrastructure needed to create both short-term wins and sustainable transformation. “We know that life happens and other priorities come up,” said Dr. Brian K. Bridges, Secretary of Higher Education for the State of New Jersey. “So our goal was to ensure that for whatever reason someone might have made the decision to stop out in the past, we as the State of New Jersey were reaching a hand back out and letting them know there was an opportunity to return as well as more support available to help them do that.”
[map]
Measuring impact: Outcomes and institutional highlights
The combined efforts of OSHE and ReUp have yielded transformative growth for both learners and institutions across the state over the past three years, with impacts felt far beyond campus borders.
A key focus of the partnership has been aligning re-enrollment efforts with New Jersey’s workforce development priorities. By empowering adults to complete their credentials, the program helps learners access better-paying jobs, advance their careers, and secure long-term economic stability. Each credential earned strengthens the skilled talent pipeline available to New Jersey employers, positioning the state to remain competitive and responsive to evolving workforce needs.
The benefits also extend broadly to the economy. New graduates contribute to increased tax revenues, higher consumer spending, and the creation of support jobs—generating a ripple effect that bolsters local communities and the statewide economy.
“Importantly, this work is helping to close equity gaps by reaching historically underserved adult learners who disproportionately experience stop out and by providing the support they need to succeed,” Secretary Bridges said. “With more residents prepared with the right skills for the right jobs, in high-demand fields like healthcare and engineering, New Jersey will have a workforce ready to meet the demands of a changing economy.”
System-wide outcomes
280K+
adults engaged through coordinated outreach and communication
13.5K+
learners re-enrolled in degree pathway programs
1.4K+
graduates earning meaningful credentials
$74M
estimated tuition recaptured by participating colleges and universities
$128M
estimated new economic contribution in the first year after all returning learners graduate, including an average tax base increase of $6,590 per graduate
These results reflect improved opportunity, economic mobility, and long-term benefits for New Jersey communities. In addition, ReUp’s scalable model can be replicated in other states, supporting even wider workforce development and economic impact as more adult learners return, graduate, and contribute to their communities.
Institutional spotlights
County College of Morris: A two-year institution success story
County College of Morris (CCM) exemplifies the impact of a learner-focused, partnership-driven approach. Collaborating with ReUp, CCM re-enrolled 545 adult learners and celebrated 53 completions in the first year, driving an additional $1.2 million in tuition revenue.
Pamela Marcenaro, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management, highlighted the need for intentional support:
“Adult learners are extremely layered. They come with a mix of frustration, emotions, and complex lived experiences. We needed a truly intentional approach to address their needs.”
Key strategies at CCM included:
- Personalized coaching and onboarding for returning adults
- Creative financial support like bookstore vouchers and debt relief
- Targeted bilingual outreach campaigns and digital engagement
- Streamlined advising and registration processes
Melissa Albright, Vice President of Marketing, Public Relations & Enrollment Management, reflected:
“Seeing learners cross the finish line with their degrees is one of the most impactful outcomes of our partnership with ReUp… Once we saw how quickly students engaged with consistent outreach, we got excited. I give that credit to ReUp for really leading the charge.”
Essex County College: Re-engaging learners through Project Re-Enroll
Essex County College launched Project Re-Enroll, a pilot program to welcome back learners who had previously been academically dismissed. The initiative featured a highly tailored letter outreach campaign, with ReUp providing expert guidance and recommendations to ensure communications resonated with this unique learner group. Through strategic collaboration and personalized support, the pilot resulted in 103 learners successfully re-enrolling. This outcome demonstrates the power of thoughtful, learner-centered communication and partnership in opening new pathways back to education.
Reflecting on the initiative, Dr. Augustine Boakye, President, said:
“Project Re-Enroll reflects what Essex County College stands for — access, opportunity, and second chances. Every student deserves the chance to finish what they started, and I’m proud that our team’s efforts have helped so many learners return and thrive.”
Thomas Edison State University: Leading adult re-engagement at a four-year institution
Thomas Edison State University (TESU) leveraged its partnership with ReUp to engage and qualify 2,209 stopped-out learners, leading to 253 new graduates in just two years. Over 305,000 personalized outreach touchpoints were conducted, enabled by ReUp’s scalable methods and human-centered coaching.
Dr. Juliette Punchello, Senior Director of Recruitment & Enrollment Services, emphasized the value of external expertise and scale:
“ReUp does the heavy load… They are the scalable organization that allows students who are inactive from 13 months to 10 years to come back and engage with Thomas Edison.”
The partnership also delivered critical data insights that allowed TESU to continually refine its engagement strategies. By closely tracking outreach effectiveness and learner behaviors, the team discovered patterns and challenges specific to adult students—insights that now inform not just re-enrollment, but ongoing retention efforts for future cohorts.
Matthew Brown, Director of Data Reporting & Strategy, recognized how these lessons are shaping TESU’s approach:
“The single biggest takeaway for me… is the volume of contact points required to re-engage a student to return. I now see the nuance and volume of outreach that is required to bring a student back.”
A blueprint for statewide transformation
The partnership between OSHE and ReUp highlights the impact that unified statewide leadership and expert support can achieve together. By bringing OSHE’s vision, coordination, and policy leadership alongside ReUp’s data-driven tools and learner-focused strategies, New Jersey created a system that unlocks opportunities for adult learners and strengthens the state’s workforce.
Together, OSHE and ReUp have built a scalable model for re-engagement and completion that supports learner success, sustainable institutional growth, and statewide prosperity. This balanced approach positions New Jersey as a national example of what’s possible when institutions, government, and technology work in true partnership.
ReUp Education is revolutionizing the enrollment to graduation journey for all adults seeking higher education. Built upon the belief that with the right support, resources, and people in your corner, anything is possible we partner with future-facing institutions and state systems to bring equitable success in higher ed to all.