Your Resource for Boosting Adult College Enrollment & Completion | June 2026

Reconnect Survey Analysis & Policy Recommendations

After receiving powerful survey data from nearly 10,000 Michigan Reconnect applicants from our friends at MiLEAP, our team put our heads together to outline five actionable, evidence-based policy recommendations for state legislators, institutional leaders, and community partners that can impact real change for adult learners and help reach Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal.

ICYMI: MiLEAP administered a statewide survey to all individuals who signed up for Reconnect between August 2024 and April 2025. Nearly 10,000 applicants offered insights into their life experiences, plans for college, prior learning, and which supports best helped them overcome challenges. The summary of that survey is here, if you missed it!

From the Blog: Centering Student Voices in the Drive to Increase Adult Completion

When looking for ways to design a better system, one of the best ways is to actively engage and listen to the end-user. Turns out, it’s equally true for colleges and universities who are looking to improve their outcomes for students.

In his most recent blog entry, Jeremy discusses the human-centered design work being done — with great success — at two community colleges and two public universities in Michigan to develop and implement strategies to improve adult learner persistence and completion.

Partner Profile: Mott Adult Student Success System

The Michigan Center for Adult College Success partnered with Diploma Equity Project and Mott Community College to implement and evaluate the Mott Adult Student Success System. This human-centered design work had the goal of improving adult student persistence and progress toward graduation.

Saylondia Givens is a current student at Mott Community College and a perfect example of a student benefitting from the Adult Student Success Center on campus — a dedicated learning space for adult students ages 25 and older. Here’s her story.

Updates from Center Partners

CAEL/Inside Higher Ed

New research across 72 colleges found that students who earned Credit for Prior Learning were more likely to complete their credential than peers who didn't. So why aren't more states doing it systematically?

State and system leaders need a practical roadmap to move from patchwork policies to coordinated action that addresses everything from establishing centralized crosswalks to building data infrastructure that reveals who's benefiting - and who's being left behind.

None of it is simple, but states that have made the most progress share one thing in common.

Jobs for the Future

AI is disrupting both the workforce and the institutions that prepare people to enter it. Jobs for the Future and the North Carolina Community College System spent several days hammering out a framework that uses technology to amplify human capabilities, not replace them. 

From JFF: “AI integration is often framed as a technology decision, but in practice, it is an institutional operating decision. It touches curriculum, advising, workforce partnerships, policy, faculty development, data governance, and student support systems simultaneously.”

CAEL/CollegeApp

A new report from CAEL and CollegeAPP shows that 27% of adults (ages 25-64) intend to enroll in education or training within the next two years. This represents approximately 41.7 million adults across the country.

Findings are derived from nationwide CollegeAPP online surveys administered to samples of respondents throughout the United States between 2019 and 2025.

James Jacobs: Moving a Community College Forward

James Jacobs’ new book traces his journey from 1960s student activist to president of Macomb Community College. Touching on the role of community colleges as essential engines of economic mobility and his personal reflections on community college leadership, this is a must-read!

Save the Date

Michigan Basic Needs Cross‑Sector Convening

September 9, 2026

Crowne Plaza in Lansing

More information to come!

We can help with that!

Office Hours

Our team offers regular virtual office hours for institutions seeking support on program design, data use, student-success strategies, and more.

Technical Support for Colleges and Universities

Institutions participating in Advancing Adult Attainment (AAA) receive 1:1 consulting, tailored guidance on program development, and hands-on support implementing accelerated credential pathways.



If your institution would benefit from individualized attention, reach out—we’re here to help.

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We collaborate to drive postsecondary innovation, transforming Michigan into a place where more adult learners enroll, complete and thrive.