Survey Finds 72% of Americans Who Dropped Out Would Re-Enroll if Costs Were Lower

Some 72 percent of individuals in the United States who have some college experience but no credential (SCNC) expressed readiness to enroll in university again if tuition and program costs were more affordable, a survey has found.

“Some college, no credential” (SCNC) population are former students who completed some college but didn’t earn a degree, Erudera.com reports.

According to the study by StraighterLine, a US company offering affordable courses for college qualifications, together with UPCEA, an online and professional education association, 58 percent of adult learners from this group fear they can’t cover college costs due to their current financial situation.

84 percent of respondents believed a degree was important to achieve their professional goals before enrolling, however, only 34 percent of them still think the same. Only 42 percent see colleges and universities as trustworthy.

"This research reveals a serious relational disconnect between the SCNC population and higher education institutions," Chief Research Officer at UPCEA, Jim Fong said.

Factors that influence whether participants in the survey would enroll again in programs include mental resilience, positive opinions on institutional trustworthiness, and belief in the value of degrees.

According to Fong, programs, the enrollment process and marketing are still mainly the same as they were a decade ago while learners are not the same.

“They are not the same learners from a decade ago, yet the programs, marketing and enrollment management processes are largely the same. There's a lot that colleges and universities can do to better engage the learner, as well as create meaningful milestones on their journey toward a degree."

Results showed that respondents have different motivators to enroll again, with some having salary as a priority and others focusing more on personal goals. According to findings, the top three key motivators for re-enrollment are:

• Salary improvement (53 percent)
• Personal goals (44 percent)
• Career change (38 percent)

As of July 2022, SCNC's population reached 41.9 million students, a 2.9 percent increase from the previous year. Of these, 36.8 million are aged 18 to 64.

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that during the 2022/23 academic year, more than 943,000 SCNC adults re-enrolled in universities, 78,300 more compared to the previous year.

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