Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches Statewide Pilot Program to Support Students Returning to College

Healey-Driscoll Administration Launches Statewide Pilot Program to Support  
Students Returning to College 

 

Pilot includes direct outreach to students who began, but did not complete, degrees at six public colleges and universities 

 
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced a new pilot program to re-engage students who previously began, but did not complete, degrees and certificates at the state’s public colleges and universities. There are more than 766,000 Massachusetts residents in the “Some College, No Credential” (SCNC) population. The effort is designed to bring greater economic opportunities to Massachusetts residents while boosting the state’s workforce and competitiveness. 
 
The learner re-engagement initiative will include direct student outreach and coaching provided by ReUp Education during a one-year pilot. The six institutions taking part include Bunker Hill Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Greenfield Community College, MassBay Community College, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. 
 
“Higher education brings better opportunities for families and strengthens our economy, which is why we’ve invested significantly in making college more affordable,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Re-engaging students who didn’t complete their degrees is another way to support our residents and strengthen the talent and skills that make up our workforce.”  
 
“Massachusetts continues to prioritize helping residents grow their economic opportunities while meeting workforce needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re proud to have increased college affordability, and this new effort goes further to reach out directly to students and provide them with coaching to help lift barriers to returning to college and completing their degrees.”  
 
Prior to this pilot program being launched, some public institutions in Massachusetts had established partnerships with ReUp to re-engage learners, including Framingham State University, Salem State University, and the University of Massachusetts Boston.  
 
“For so many residents, life and finances get in the way of completing a credential,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “This pilot brings residents guidance and support to return to college, grow their skills, and complete the degree they once started.”   
 
“I’m grateful to our college and university leaders for their ongoing dedication to student success, including their existing and growing efforts to re-engage adult learners,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega. “By bringing students back to complete a degree or earn a credential, we're not only expanding individual access and opportunity, but we’re also strengthening our Commonwealth's workforce.” 
 
This learner re-engagement pilot program advances a recommendation of the Advisory Council for the Advancement of Representation in Education (ACARE) that was highlighted in a report issued in October 2024.  
 
“There are a number of barriers to adult learners completing credentials and this dedicated effort will help residents overcome them,” said Department of Higher Education Senior Deputy Commissioner José Luis Santos. “As someone who was a ‘non-traditional’ aged college student myself, I know that added support goes a long way in making it across the finish line, and the student outreach and guidance that come with this effort will be invaluable to helping adult learners reach their goals.”   
 
ReUp is a national provider of re-enrollment and success coaching and leads re-enrollment efforts at 140 institutions across 33 states. ReUp engages students through an Education to Workforce Marketplace, which provides comprehensive support across the entire student journey—from initial outreach to graduation—helping learners navigate barriers like cost, time, and uncertainty. Connecting public institutions and learners across Massachusetts through a central platform and live coaching will provide adults returning to college with guided access to programs aligned with their career aspirations and statewide workforce needs. 
 
Statements from Participating Colleges and Universities  
 
“Bringing Massachusetts residents with some college credit but no degree back to our public colleges and universities is a smart investment. We are training a strong workforce to support our dynamic economy and delivering the promise of economic mobility. Bunker Hill's partnership with ReUp will leverage free community college to open doors to a more prosperous and competitive workforce,” said Pam Eddinger, President, Bunker Hill Community College. 

"Working with ReUp allows us to leverage data-informed outreach and personalized coaching to support adult learners who stepped away before earning a credential. This one-year pilot will help us understand how to better serve returning students and build a sustainable re-engagement strategy that aligns with our long-term enrollment and student success goals,” said Jacquelyn Thompson, Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management at Cape Cod Community College. 
 
“We are thrilled to partner with ReUp and their mission to support adult learners to complete their college goals. Our flexible programs and excellent wrap-around support are a great match for this program and learners who are juggling jobs, family, and life. We believe no one who’s taken the first steps toward higher education deserves to be left behind,” said Shanni Smith-Arsenault, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success at Greenfield Community College.  
 
"We appreciate the partnership with Re-Up, made possible by the Department of Higher Education. It will allow us to better achieve our mission to provide high-quality education to our citizens, specifically by connecting with those whose situations didn't allow them to complete their degree in the past. We look forward to those students completing their degrees and moving forward in their lives and careers,” said MassBay Community College President, David Podell, Ph.D. 
 
"Fitchburg State is proud to join this statewide effort to welcome adult learners back to college and support them through to completion. Our region depends on a skilled, diverse workforce, and too many talented people have stepped away from higher education because life got in the way. This partnership with ReUp gives them a clear path back, with the coaching and encouragement they deserve. We look forward to helping more Massachusetts residents finish what they started and move confidently toward their goals," said Fitchburg State University President Donna Hodge.  
 
“This pilot program reflects our shared belief that public higher education should meet people where they are and support them as they work toward a better future for themselves and their families,” said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Mark A. Fuller, PhD. “UMass Dartmouth is proud to partner with the Healey-Driscoll Administration and ReUp to open new doors for the thousands of Massachusetts residents who are looking to complete their educational ambitions.” 
 
Statement from ReUp Education  
 
“We’re proud to partner with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to create a statewide solution that directly supports adult learners on their path to degree completion and career advancement,” said Terah Crews, CEO of ReUp. “This initiative reinforces our commitment to helping states transform their higher education systems to drive economic growth while ensuring that colleges and universities in Massachusetts can retain and support the talent they have already invested in.”