Targeting the Technical - Prioritizing Analysis of Student Transcripts in Degree Reclamation Efforts to Improve Student Completion Outcomes

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

Degree reclamation uses existing credits to bring students with “some college, but no degree” (SCND) back toward completion. This study analyzes degree audit data from one community college to examine expanding degree reclamation beyond liberal arts and general studies into more technical and applied associate’s degrees. Results identify the degree audits most likely to produce earned credentials, highlight gaps in technical/applied and general education requirements, and connect completion strategies to labor-market employment outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Key Findings

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Targeting the Technical: Prioritizing Analysis of Student Transcripts in Degree Reclamation Efforts to Improve Student Completion Outcomes JASON L . TAYLOR, REBECCA KLEIN-COLLINS, SHEENA A . KAUPPILA, AND SEAN HUDSON EDITED BY LEANNE DAVIS JANUARY 2022 Executive Summary No one starts on the path to a college degree intending not to finish. But between taking one’s first college class and earning a degree, life can change course, and it often does. For a wide array of reasons, students stop out from their higher education path each semester, and many never return. Today, nearly one in five working-age adults in the United States has“some college, but no degree”(SCND) .1 In 2020, the onset of a global pandemic changed the course of lives around the world. Many students who were pursuing postsecondary credentials prior to the COVID-19 pandemic saw their studies disrupted by a loss of employment, loss of childcare, or illness-their own or someone in their care. As the economy struggles to recover amidst ongoing uncertainty, adults across the country could benefit from earning a degree and opening the door to new careers . Colleges and universities recognize the importance—but also the challenge—of getting SCND students back on track and supporting them, along with currently enrolled students, across the degree finish line. 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. 1 Ryan, C. L. & Bauman, K. (2016) . Educational attainment in the United States: 2015 (Report No. P20-578) . Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Commerce & U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from [http://www. census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p20-578. pdf](http://www. census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p20-578. pdf) KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE: • Running degree audits for transfer-oriented degrees in general studies and liberal arts yield the most earned credentials. The degree audits of previously enrolled students confirmed that transfer-oriented degrees like associate of general studies, associate of arts, and associate of science provide the fastest and most direct path to a degree. Credit requirements for these degrees are more flexible, as students can apply credit from a range of different courses. Previously enrolled students were more likely to have satisfied general education credit requirements than the major credit requirements of technical/applied degrees. • Students whose last declared program was a technical/ applied degree were closer to meeting all requirements for technical/applied degrees. In general, previously enrolled students were not close to meeting the credit requirements for the technical/applied degrees analyzed in this study: business administration, early childhood education, paralegal studies, criminal justice, and dental hygiene. However, previously enrolled students whose last declared program was a technical/applied program were more likely to have completed technical/applied courses, particularly in the case of business administration. • Students in programs with relatively flexible requirements met a larger number of requirements for technical/applied degrees. Of

FAQs

What problem does the document address?

It addresses why many working-age students stop out without completing a college degree and how colleges can help them re-engage through degree reclamation using existing credits.

How does the study evaluate degree reclamation efforts?

It uses degree audit data from a community college to explore extending initiatives from liberal arts/general studies associate’s degrees to technical and applied associate’s degrees.

What courses are most often missing for near-completers?

Within general education requirements, mathematics, science, and English/written communication are most frequently missing from student transcripts.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian