More than 1 million people in North Carolina attended college but left before earning a degree or credential, according to a new report from National Student Clearinghouse.
The University of North Carolina System is working to welcome many of those people back to the classroom — and help them graduate — by expanding its partnership with ReUp Education, a company focused on reenrolling individuals who leave college early. Since 2023, ReUp has brought more than 4,200 North Carolinians back to UNC System institutions. So far, more than 600 of those students have graduated.
ReUp’s services with the UNC System will expand to include coaching that helps students stay on course to graduation. Ten universities will participate in the partnership: Appalachian State University; East Carolina University; Fayetteville State University; University of North Carolina Asheville; University of North Carolina at Charlotte; University of North Carolina at Greensboro; University of North Carolina at Pembroke; University of North Carolina Wilmington; Western Carolina University; and Winston-Salem State University.
“We believe that every North Carolinian deserves the chance to achieve their goals in life,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “We want to make the process as easy and personalized as possible. I look forward to welcoming many more students back.”
“Engaging and supporting adult learners is central to our mission of expanding access and opportunity through higher education,” said Dr. Shun Robertson, senior vice president for strategy and policy at the UNC System. “We know that education unlocks enormous potential both for individuals and for our state, and this expanded partnership will help grow North Carolina’s workforce and increase economic opportunity in our communities.”
Efforts like this are part of a national trend. For the second consecutive year, college stop-outs have declined, and reenrollments have increased across the United States. That’s because many states are using similar strategies to address the decline in 18-to-24-year-olds who traditionally attend college after high school.
Nationally, 43.1 million people have left college without graduating. Nearly 38 million of those are working-age adults under 65, according to National Student Clearinghouse.