Vast Majority of U.S. States See More Students Who Had Stopped Out of College Now Re-Enrolling
HERNDON, VA / ACCESS Newswire / June 4, 2025 / The number of students leaving college without earning a credential - or 'stopping out' - has declined for the second year in a row, reports the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, released today, also found that more students who had previously stopped out are re-enrolling. During the 2023-24 academic year, 42 states and the District of Columbia saw increases in re-enrollment compared to the previous year, ranging from a 0.7 percent increase in Washington, DC, to a 35.2 percent increase in Massachusetts.
'It is inspiring to see that over one million adults returned to campuses last year-the most we've ever recorded,' said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. 'They're reviving college aspirations that had been put on hold years before. And states and institutions are working to make it even easier for more students to do so in the future.'
Nearly all higher education institution sectors saw fewer stopouts between January 2022 and July 2023 compared to the same period a year earlier-except for private for-profit four-year institutions and primarily online institutions, which saw increases of 17.7% and 1.7%, respectively.
Total population of 'some college, no credential' Americans is still growing: Despite the promising trends in the re-enrollments, there are still nearly 43.1 million American adults stopped out of college without a credential, according to the new report. Of these, 37.6 million are under age 65 and of typical working age.
Moreover, the total population of working age adults with some college and no credential grew 2.2 percent in the year ending July 2023, as the 2.1 million students who were newly stopped out far outpaced those 'some college, no credential' students re-enrolling in the 2022-23 academic year and the number of those aging out of the working-age population.
Some students benefit from policies that award credentials for past credits: Each year, about 1 in 4 of those in the 'some college, no credential' population who earn a first credential do so without re-enrolling. While the data does not identify causes, these credential earners may be the beneficiaries of policies that remove administrative barriers to completion or award credentials based on the number of credits already earned in the past, such as Colorado's new Colorado Re-Engaged (CORE) initiative.
The CORE initiative allows public four-year institutions to award associate degrees to those who stopped out in the last decade with 70 credit hours. This year's report finds that, despite having the twentieth-largest 'some college, no credential' population, Colorado had the seventh-highest number of first credential earners this year (2,100, +1,200 from 2022-23), boosted by associate degrees earned by 'some college, no credential' individuals who did not need to re-enroll.
The Some College, No Credential report was created with the support of Lumina Foundation.
About the National Student Clearinghouse® Research Center™
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is the research arm of the National Student Clearinghouse. The Research Center collaborates with higher education institutions, states, school districts, high schools, and educational organizations as part of a national effort to better inform education leaders and policymakers. Through accurate longitudinal data outcomes reporting, the Research Center enables better educational policy decisions leading to improved student outcomes. To learn more, visit nscresearchcenter.org.
CONTACT:
National Student Clearinghouse
[email protected]
SOURCE: National Student Clearinghouse
press release
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
41 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump's 401(k) Change: What Administrators and Employees Need to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's recent executive order has opened the door for alternative investments to be included in 401(k) plans, potentially reshaping how the savings of millions of Americans are managed. In the order, entitled "Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors," the president laid out a road map for the incorporation of such assets, including private equity, real estate and cryptocurrency, into Americans' retirement accounts. What to Know The executive order does not alter existing laws around workplace retirement plans, but instructs the Department of Labor to examine how to revise guidance to make such investments more accessible. However, the announcement marks a major win for those in the respective asset industries, who have long been lobbying for a chance to tap into the roughly $12.2 trillion held in retirement savings plans. President Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters in the Oval Office on August 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. Coins in a jar. President Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters in the Oval Office on August 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. Coins in a jar. Win McNamee //Getty Images / GDA via AP Images "For decades, public pension funds have invested in private assets because they deliver strong returns over the long term and are a smart, safe way to diversify retirement savings," said Will Dunham, president of the American Investment Council, a trade association and lobbying group that represents the U.S. private equity industry. "President Trump's EO [executive order] is a great step that will help all Americans enjoy the same benefits of stronger returns and a secure retirement." But others believe retirement portfolios should be conservatively managed, and are wary of introducing any additional complexities or risk, as well as the higher fees that could themselves eat into savings. "Alternative investments are typically less liquid and volatile, meaning that investors may not have immediate access to funds and are likely to be exposed to more risk," said economist Gopi Shah Goda, director of the Brookings Institution's Retirement Security Project. "They also typically carry higher fees, dipping into the return premiums mentioned earlier." Newsweek spoke with attorneys and private equity experts about what those participating in the plans—and those benefiting from them—need to know before embracing these new investment options. What Administrators Need to Know Simon Tang, Accelex "For administrators, the biggest challenge is the transparency gap," said Tang, director and head of U.S. at Accelex, a fintech firm that provides tools for private markets investors. "General partners of private funds are steadfast in maintaining privacy and confidentiality when it comes to their investments in private companies, which should drive their competitive advantage over other fund managers," he told Newsweek. "However, retail investors will expect the same clear, timely information that they're used to in public markets and even in crypto but where private equity still falls short." To bridge this transparency gap, Tang said administrators will "need to invest in private markets-specific AI and automation to access, extract, standardize, and present insights to the retirement investors; otherwise, they risk losing these investors to competitors who can." Bill Cox, KBRA "Private markets are a source of systemic strength, and their democratization can benefit both retail and institutional investors when accessed with proper due diligence and understanding of their unique characteristics," said Cox, head of corporate, financial, and government ratings at the New York-based rating agency. Cox told Newsweek that expanding into alternative assets "requires careful consideration of liquidity risks, fee structures, and the critical importance of manager selection." "Performance variability will have far more to do with which managers 401(k) investors select, rather than whether they allocated to alternatives, and we expect this manager differentiation to grow over the next 3-5 years," he said. Carol McClarnon, Carlton Fields McClarnon, an attorney specializing in the financial services industry, said the main thing plan sponsors and fund managers must be aware of is increased "litigation risk." "There are law firms that focus on filing 'excessive fee' lawsuits against 401(k) plan sponsors and financial professionals," she told Newsweek, but noted that Trump's executive order also instructs the Department of Labor to address this in its upcoming guidance. "Plan sponsors and employees who are open to private equity but lack the expertise can focus on pooled investment funds that are managed by advisers with significant expertise," she added. John Hunt, Sullivan & Worcester "Currently, the biggest exposure is to plan fiduciaries, and the liabilities they have in deciding which investments to make available to plan participants," said Hunt, a partner at the global law firm. "For both plan fiduciaries and employees, the most significant questions are understanding the risks and expenses of alternative investments, that is, how financially literate do they need to be before it is prudent for them to invest in these types of investments," he said. Tom Hogan, Haynes Boone Hogan, employee benefits counsel at the corporate law firm, said that the higher fees associate with private equity could "subject the plan sponsor to fiduciary litigation." "A plan sponsor is subject to a fiduciary standard of care and prudence under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the statute that applies to private sector retirement plans) when selecting or monitoring investments." Hunt noted that there also exist "liquidity and valuation issues," given alternative investments are not easily sold or converted to cash, and that the clear, real-time value of private equity is hard to determine. The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) Private market assets are "are harder to value and harder to exit," the private equity watchdog told Newsweek. "It's harder to know what something is really worth. Unlike stocks, private equity funds don't trade on an exchange, so the value is based on what the fund says it's worth. That makes it easier to get wrong—and could lead to disputes or lawsuits from workers if they feel they didn't get a fair deal." The group added that private equity "often reports returns in ways that make them look better than they are." "Without clear, standardized yardsticks, it's hard for plan managers to tell if the investment is actually worth it." What Employees Need to Know Simon Tang, Accelex "For employees, there are several concerns of private equity investing including the higher fees, inherent complexity and opacity, and also the unique return, risk and liquidity profile of this asset class," said Tang. "Resolving these concerns will require substantial education and data-driven knowledge transfer." "Another key risk that needs to be examined and understood is asset allocation and portfolio construction," he told Newsweek. "The general public is used to parking their paycheck money in a 401(k) and then simply selecting from the different flavors of listed equities and bonds." Introducing private equity into this mix, Tang believes, will require employees "to determine their exposure and diversification goals," as "allocating their entire 401(k) to private equity would indeed be a risk." "Anyone considering allocating part of their retirement savings to private equity should understand and educate themselves on the nuances, advantages and disadvantages of private equity," he added. "And they should expect a very different experience from the instant pricing and real-time updates of public markets." Rob Sichel, K&L Gates Sichel, a partner at the global law firm, said the main risk for plan participants will be in "ensuring that they are investing in products that have been prudently designed to effectively operate within a defined contribution plan." In other words, participants must first understand whether a fund has sufficient liquidity and manageable fees, and whether it is "overseen by a fiduciary with sufficient expertise." "Even if such an investment is available in a plan's investment lineup, plan participants should make sure an investment is prudent given the participant's specific situation," he added. Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) "Higher costs eat into savings," the watchdog told Newsweek. "Private equity funds usually charge much higher fees than index funds—sometimes multiple layers of them—and those fees add up over time, leaving you with less money at retirement." It added that money in private equity investments is typically "locked up longer." "You can sell a stock or bond fund any day. With private equity, you may have to wait years to get your money out, and even then, you might get less than you expect." PESP was also surprised that the executive order encouraged investments in private equity, given that private equity funds have largely underperformed the S&P 500 over the past few years. Russ Ivinjack, Aon "For employees, it means potentially higher costs and less liquidity," said Ivinjack, Aon's global chief investment officer. "Unlike public equities, private investments don't offer daily pricing or straightforward disclosures," he told Newsweek. "That's why we recommend using private assets only in professionally managed portfolios, like target date funds, where trained fiduciaries are making decisions on your behalf." What Happens Next? As the experts noted, the executive order only instructs the Department of Labor to review existing regulations and guidance around alternative investments. "At the moment, there are no formal proposals," said John Hunt of Sullivan & Worcester. "Just a direction to the DOL to think about and come up with a plan—and thus nothing to react to other than the optimism of potential changes." "This isn't an overnight transformation," Simon Tang told Newsweek. "Private equity won't suddenly appear in every 401(k) plan." "Returns can be attractive, but fees are higher, investments are less liquid, and performance data is harder to come by," he added. "It remains to be seen how this change will be implemented." Trump gave the Department of Labor 180 days to reexamine guidance and clarify the government's position on alternative assets—including private market investments, real estate interests and digital assets—in 401(k)s.
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Putin's failed experiment to lure anti-woke Americans to Russia
'He feels like he's been thrown to the wolves right now,' DeAnna Huffman told her YouTube followers two months ago. Her husband is serving in a foreigners unit with Russian officers. 'He's not getting any training,' DeAnna Huffman said, because her husband doesn't speak Russian. Advertisement 'He's needing money,' she said, adding that he had to give the unit 10,000 rubles ($125) for supplies. The Huffmans have been living in what Russian media Advertisement Another American, Chantelle Hare, explained why her family moved to Russia from Texas in The trickle of American emigres calls to mind the larger migration during the 1930s, when hundreds of Americans traveled to the then-young Soviet Union, either to find work or to escape virulent racism in the United States. While there is no reliable, comprehensive account of how those emigrants fared in the self-styed 'workers' paradise,' Many Americans found work in the USSR's explosive factory boom of the early Advertisement Still others, disenchanted, tried to return to the United States, with mixed results. When I posted a query on a Facebook site for former Moscow diplomats earlier this week, a retired consular officer answered: 'I was in Moscow 1992-94 and saw a half-dozen of these American citizens come into the consular section to reclaim their citizenship. They were an interesting group. One older gentleman I remember had been living in a town in the Urals and still had a Chicago accent, although he struggled with getting English words out.' The Depression-era US-to-USSR emigres inspired few imitators. It seems hard to believe that history won't repeat itself with the Huffmans, the Hares, and their disaffected compatriots. The Russians have a saying, 'Khorosho tam, gde as nye,' meaning: 'Things are great, where we are not.' The grass is always greener, until you are standing on the lawn in question. Alex Beam's column appears regularly in the Globe. Follow him
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump tax law could cause Medicare cuts if Congress doesn't act, CBO says
WASHINGTON — The federal budget deficits caused by President Trump's tax and spending law could trigger automatic cuts to Medicare if Congress does not act, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported Friday. The CBO estimates that Medicare, the federal health insurance program for Americans over age 65, could potentially see as much as $491 billion in cuts from 2027 to 2034 if Congress does not act to mitigate a 2010 law that forces across-the-board cuts to many federal programs once legislation increases the federal deficit. The latest report from CBO showed how Trump's signature tax and spending law could put new pressure on federal programs that are bedrocks of the American social safety net. Trump and Republicans pledged not to cut Medicare as part of the legislation, but the estimated $3.4 trillion that the law adds to the federal deficit over the next decade means that many Medicare programs could see cuts. In the past, Congress has always acted to mitigate cuts to Medicare and other programs, but it would take some bipartisan cooperation to do so. Democrats, who requested the analysis from CBO, jumped on the potential cuts. 'Republicans knew their tax breaks for billionaires would force over half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts — and they did it anyway,' Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said in a statement. 'American families simply cannot afford Donald Trump's attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare.' Hospitals in rural parts of the country are already grappling with cuts to Medicaid, which is available to people with low incomes, and cuts to Medicare could exacerbate their shortfalls. As Republicans muscled the bill through Congress and are now selling it to voters back home, they have been critical of how the CBO has analyzed the bill. They have also argued that the tax cuts will spur economic growth and pointed to $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals that was included in the package. Groves writes for the Associated Press.
