But ensuring the financial longevity of the state is not the only objective behind the CCHE strategic plan and the commitment to reach the 66% mark for accredited adults. “The strategic goal is to increase completion, close equity gaps, improve student success, and commit to affordability and innovation,” said Cynthia Armendariz, Ph .D., Director of CCHE, at a session at the Council on Adult’s annual conference and experiential learning.

Armendariz was joined by Chris Rasmussen, senior director of academic pathways and innovation at the Colorado Department of Higher Education; Julie Beggs, Director of Workforce and Community Programs at Arapahoe Community College; and PuraCarina Gonzalez, Senior Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives for One Million Degrees, to discuss steps being taken by colleges and universities in the state to help adult learners graduate.

They also shared strategies to support students during COVID-19, maximize grant funds, and consider out-of-the-box solutions for challenges typical of adult learners. Read on for their best practices.

Serve students in your state

Colorado is a highly educated state overall, but not for Colorado natives, Armendariz said. “More than 75% of our jobs [in the state] require some type of credential. A lot of people in our state are highly educated, but we don’t do a great job educating our own students. [in-state]”said Armendariz.

In the state, at the time of the conference session, there were 400,000 students employed in college, but no diploma. In order to meet the goal of 66% of Colorado adults with a post-secondary credential, Armendariz said more than 73,000 of those students need to graduate or graduate by 2025.

But Colorado’s goal is also to close gaps in equity and achievement of all kinds: racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and the students who are the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education. “We [in Colorado] in fact have some of the largest equity gaps in the United States, ”Armendariz said.

For example, only 33% of black students in the state have graduated from post-secondary education, and only 29% of Hispanic or Native American students have it. The CCHE master plan included the imperative that the equity and achievement gaps should also experience significant improvement. “We have a lot of work to do and a lot to do in our state,” Armendariz said.

Wraparound support services increase opportunities

Enter: Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. COSI was established in 2014 with the aim of increasing the achievement of degrees and diplomas in the state. There are two main components of COSI: its matching scholarship component and the community partnership program. COSI serves approximately 20,000 students in the state, of which 60% are students of color and 73% are Pell-eligible students. The median age of students served by COSI is 24 years old.

Armendariz explained that each year the COSI board allocates a certain amount of funds – last year, $ 7.5 million – and nonprofits apply for these funds, which provide individual correspondence. for scholarships – thus doubling the number of scholarships that can be awarded within the state. “We’ve been providing these funds since 2014 – and since that time we have provided over $ 66 million in funds,” Armendariz said.

The other branch of COSI is the Community Partnership Program, which provides complementary services to students in need, whether that is to cover childcare costs, transportation or other costs that hamper the ‘graduation by a student. When the programs are combined, Armendariz said students persist in their educational journeys at rates of up to 92%. As of spring 2020, 6,737 post-secondary diplomas had been obtained by students supported by the COSI Matching Scholarships, and 4,287 diplomas had been obtained by students supported by the COSI Community Partner Program. And Armendariz said she hopes that number will double in the next three to five years.

Support systems in action

Beggs at CCA used COSI funds allocated to his community college under the banner of “Workforce and Community Programs” and supporting community workforce ready talent. “We offer everything from painting classes to apprenticeship programs,” Beggs said.

The ACC currently serves 141 students with funding from COSI, with the average age of these students being 37%, 70% female, and an average of three semesters to return to college and complete their degrees. “The average purse [we offer to students from these funds] is $ 3,300 – about $ 1,100 per semester, ”Beggs said.

Finally, Beggs said everyone knows someone on their campus who goes above and beyond, has personal contact with students and always goes the extra mile for their students. Like all of us, Beggs said, this person is likely suffering from burnout associated with the pandemic – and your institution cannot afford to lose them.

“I encourage you to text, email, or send a note to say ‘thank you’,” Beggs said. This simple action is to “help do what you can to create more of” this person “in your institution. “

Leveraging relationships for persistence

One Million Degrees has served community college students since 2006, 84% of whom identify as Black or Latinx, and 91% of whom come from historically under-represented backgrounds. And students who sign up for OMD’s Global Support Services are 23% more likely to persist and graduate, Gonzalez said.

OMD has partnered with Adams County Community College to focus on a pilot project for adult learners with some college, but no degree. “We have to understand that students are the experts in their own experience,” Gonzalez said.