Finding ways for institutions to accelerate the completion of credentials that are valued by the labor market can motivate students to reengage and help them succeed. And there is no better way to maximize that acceleration than to leverage the learning, and especially the college credits, that these students and potential students already have.Degree reclamation is a proven strategy to capture the momentum of existing credits and put SCND students back on track to a degree. Given that most colleges and universities focus their degree reclamation initiatives on liberal arts or general studies associate’s degrees, this study used degree audit data from one community college to explore the potential of expanding those efforts to include more technical and applied associate’s degrees, which can yield more immediate employment gains after graduation.The report offers these recommendations:
- Prioritize degree audit approaches that will improve student completion outcomes.
- Help near-completer students complete frequently missed courses.
- Innovate in order to close the credit gap.
