How Cross-Sector Partnerships Help Adult Learners Return, Persist, and Complete Degrees

With over 41 million adults in the U.S. holding some college credit but no degree, colleges and universities are under pressure to implement effective adult learner enrollment strategies. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Malik Brown, President and CEO of Graduate Philadelphia, about how institutions can re-engage students who have stopped out through cross-sector partnerships that support enrollment, retention, and degree completion.

Drawing on their real-world experience in higher education and workforce development, McNaughton and Brown discuss how adult learners face unique barriers—including affordability, caregiving responsibilities, and outdated enrollment systems—and how intermediaries like nonprofits and employers can play a crucial role in supporting their return to college. The episode outlines practical, replicable strategies that institutional leaders can adopt to build sustainable pipelines for adult learner success.

This conversation is especially valuable for higher ed presidents, provosts, and enrollment leaders tasked with addressing demographic shifts and declining enrollments while aligning with workforce and community needs.

Topics Covered:

• The economic and social reasons over 41 million Americans have stopped out

• Why adult learners need support from application through graduation

• How partnerships with nonprofits, employers, and funders extend institutional capacity

• The importance of stackable credentials aligned to labor market needs

• Why re-enrollment strategies must include systems changes and credit articulation

• Reducing friction in the application, financial aid, and credit transfer processes

Real-World Examples Discussed:

• Graduate Philadelphia's intermediary role connecting students, colleges, and employers

• How employers can provide scheduling flexibility and tuition assistance

• Use of workforce credentials as an on-ramp to degrees

• Models for credit articulation and co-governed partnerships

• Community-based navigation support that increases persistence and completion

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:

1. Build integrated partnerships that extend institutional reach. Nonprofits, workforce boards, and employers provide essential wraparound services that help adult learners succeed.

2. Design stackable pathways that start with workforce credentials. These programs allow adults to earn income and confidence while progressing toward a degree.

3. Fix enrollment systems that weren't built for adults. From transcript access to unpaid balances, institutions must streamline re-entry to remove avoidable barriers.

This episode provides a framework for institutional leaders seeking actionable strategies to re-enroll adult learners and support them through to graduation.

Recommended For: Presidents, provosts, chief enrollment officers, board members, continuing education leaders, and workforce development professionals focused on adult learners and institutional sustainability.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/adult-learner-enrollment-completion-partnerships/

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