Since it was initiated in January of 2008, Project Graduation — a collaborative effort between the Council on Postsecondary Education and the state’s universities — has encouraged 203 former students to return to college and earn their four-year degrees.
While to some that may not seem like many students, any program that encourages state residents to earn their college degrees must be applauded in a state that has among the nation’s lowest percentage of adults with college degrees. Because these former students already are more than halfway toward earning a bachelor’s degree, they should be among the most successful students colleges recruit.
Bob King, president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, said the state universities offer incentives to encourage adults to re-enroll and then offer services to help them be successful once they return to college.
According to campus data collected by the Council on Postsecondary Education, Project Graduation during the spring semester enrolled 401 students who took a total of 2,609 credit hours and generated $730,000 in tuition revenue. During the past summer term, the campuses admitted 211 students who were taking 798 credit hours and generating $299,088 in tuition revenue.
Ten of Kentucky’s private colleges also participate in Project Graduation, but their enrollment numbers are not available.
“We are delighted that our campuses are paving the way for adult learners to return to college to complete their degrees,” said King. “It’s incredibly important to the adults, their families and children, and the state’s economic competitiveness.”
While the additional tuition revenue Project Graduation has helped generate for individual universities is important at a time when state money for higher education is extremely tight, the tuition income should be considered only an added benefit of the program. The greatest benefit is getting more college graduates in a state that critically needs to improve the education level of its adult population.
Our hope is that far more former college students will take advantage of Project Graduation to return to school and earn their degrees.
