California Reconnect

Overview

Four million Californians ages 25 to 54 have a high school diploma and some college credit but never completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.¹ What’s more, the Public Policy Institute of California notes that by 2030, 40% of all jobs will require at least a bachelor’s degree² — and the state is on a course to fall 1.1 million college degrees short of that goal.³ When you consider that employers are already struggling to fill hundreds of thousands of skilled and professional positions requiring credentials and degrees, the need for change is urgent.

Several nonprofit organizations are combining forces to help former California students return to college to complete their credentials. InsideTrack, the Institute for Higher Education Policy and ProjectAttain! are seeking funding for a three-year demonstration project that will support the re-enrollment of thousands of former California students, putting them on a path to program completion, improved employment opportunities, and upward economic mobility.

The project, CALIFORNIA RECONNECT, will include up to 30 participating institutions and focus on economic regions that have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic.

In a recent report on the national “Some College, No Credential” population from National Student Clearinghouse, it is estimated that 62% of 944,200 re-enrolled students changed institutions upon re-enrolling — and those who did commonly crossed institution sectors (67%).⁴ Rather than solely focusing on bringing former students back to the original institutions they attended, California Reconnect will take a regional approach, modeled after the successful practices of ProjectAttain! in the Sacramento region. This regional approach will be institution agnostic, focusing first and foremost on the interests and needs of each student rather than directing them only to their former institution. This approach — which will focus on supporting the career goals, current circumstances, and credit accumulation of the individual student — will prioritize what is best for the student and provide maximum flexibility for establishing the best path back into college and through to completion.

InsideTrack will lead the outreach and student support efforts, collaborating closely with participating institutions of higher education wherever possible. InsideTrack’s approach will focus heavily on career advising and development to ensure that students who choose to return are actively positioning themselves for career and economic advancement. Specifically, this “career first” approach will support prospective returning students in their consideration of educational options that align with their career interests, time, learning needs and career interests. InsideTrack coaches will also make additional efforts to ensure that students are successful as they return. This includes developing plans for academic success while working part-time or full-time, ensuring a financial plan that will cover tuition, and supporting broader academic success strategies.