Supporting South Carolina’s Ascend 60×30 Initiative
Re-Engaging Stop-Out Students to Drive Educational Attainment
As enrollment leaders in South Carolina’s higher education institutions, you are well aware of the evolving challenges shaping our state’s postsecondary landscape. Key trends include the impending demographic cliff, a projected decline in traditional high school graduates, and a significant population of over 450,000 adults who hold some college credits but lack a completed credential, as outlined in the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education’s (CHE) 2021 Public Agenda Implementation Plan.
At Education Connex, we are committed to advancing the goals of Ascend 60×30 — South Carolina’s strategic effort to increase the proportion of residents with high-quality postsecondary credentials to 60% by 2030. This initiative emphasizes improving completion rates and empowering the state’s workforce through targeted strategies, including engaging near-completers.
Like you, we prioritize Ascend 60×30 to benefit our state and your institution. A critical element of achieving the 60% attainment goal involves reconnecting with adults who are close to completing their credentials. In South Carolina, nearly 450,000 individuals fall into this category, representing a substantial opportunity to boost enrollment and contribute to economic growth.
We specialize in creating dedicated pathways to re-engage stop-out students, while also marketing to prospective adult learners with prior credits. Our solutions enable institutions to efficiently identify, nurture, and re-enroll these individuals, fostering increased re-enrollment and strengthening South Carolina’s workforce.
Progress Toward a Stronger, Career-Ready State
South Carolina’s current postsecondary attainment rate stands at 50.1%, marking an improvement from 46.8% in 2021 when the Implementation Plan was released. Overall, the state’s educational attainment has risen by 15.2 percentage points since 2009. These gains underscore the value of focused efforts in adult learner engagement, military and dependent persistence support, and workforce upskilling—all of which we address through personalized, one-student-at-a-time approaches.
This creates mutual benefits: Adult learners achieve their credentials and enhanced career prospects; institutions see improved enrollment and completion metrics; employers gain access to skilled talent; and communities benefit from greater economic vitality. Together, we can build a statewide college-going culture, promote on-time completion, engage adult learners effectively, and align education with South Carolina’s economic priorities, including support for military spouses and dependents.
Re-Engaging Stop-Outs to Enhance Enrollment
Our proven seven-step process for recovering and re-enrolling stop-out students is designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing operations:
- Target – Identify high-potential candidates most likely to re-enroll using data-driven insights.
- Locate – Update contact information and initiate nurturing for those who have been away for some time.
- Engage – Rebuild relationships through advanced technology, multichannel messaging, and professional success coaching.
- Learn – Collect actionable data to refine retention strategies, marketing efforts, and operational efficiencies while measuring continuous improvement.
- Inspire – Provide empathetic listening, problem-solving, and guidance to help learners envision their path to success.
- Partner – Collaborate to deliver clear, achievable plans for degree completion.
- Support – Offer ongoing, tailored coaching and wraparound services to address the unique needs of adult learners and ensure they reach graduation.
In addition to these steps, we provide targeted retention services, including expert success coaching and support customized for adult learners. Our U.S.-based team of performance marketers, student success professionals, and data analysts brings deep expertise in adult and graduate programs, ensuring authentic, technology-enhanced solutions that drive results.
Nationally, approximately 41 million Americans have some college experience but no credential. South Carolina is proactively addressing this through Ascend 60×30, with a strong focus on working adults. We commend the local leadership for this emphasis and are equipped to support the initiative by engaging both new adult learners and stop-outs — including former residential students now navigating adult responsibilities.
Our perspective: These individuals are likely to return to higher education. The key is ensuring they return to your institution. Founded in 2008 to serve working adults, we have extensive experience in recruiting and re-recruiting this demographic.
We implement holistic strategies encompassing engagement, nurturing, and retention. Re-admits and stop-outs form a foundational element of effective enrollment planning, and since our inception, we have assisted institutions in reclaiming these opportunities to elevate completion rates.
Contact us today at 877-434-1828, to discuss how we can support your enrollment goals and contribute to Ascend 60×30.
Let’s collaborate for shared success.