Tennessee’s Navigate Reconnect Shows Strong Impact on Non-Traditional Students, Increasing College Enrollment Outcomes

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Jessie Greene
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Press Release

NASHVILLE, TN - January 9, 2025 - The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) is pleased to announce the findings of the inaugural report on Navigate Reconnect, Tennessee's primary college coaching and advising program for adults over 25.

The study found that students who worked with a Navigate Reconnect coach, also known as "Navigators," stayed in school or completed a technical certificate or degree at higher rates (11 percentage points) than those who did not work with a Navigator.

The program helps adult students, or "Reconnectors," explore college options and navigate the application process. Free services include academic coaching and financial aid assistance, as well as access to local resources such as childcare and affordable transportation.

"An 11-percentage point difference is huge for Tennessee," said Brett Gipson, Chief College Access Officer at THEC. "Every state in the nation is wrestling with how to support adult learners in their journey to reconnect with training that will enhance their careers, prepare for new jobs coming into their region, and build a brighter future for their families. Navigate Reconnect is an important tool in this fight."

In partnership with Tennessee's Department of Finance and Administration's Office of Evidence and Impact and researchers from the Boyd Center for Business & Economic Research (BCBER) at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, THEC has begun to study the effects of Navigate Reconnect on postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion by adult learners.

Key Findings:

• Demographics of Reconnect Participants: Approximately two-thirds of Reconnectors were female, with an average age of 33 years old. Reconnectors were more likely to be Non-White and come from lower-income households compared to the state average. Around 1 in 7 participants had previously received unemployment benefits, and more than half were the first in their family to attend college.
  
• Enrollment Outcomes: Between 33% and 43% of Reconnectors enrolled in college within one year of engaging with a Navigator. The number of new participants surged during Spring and Summer 2020, with this cohort showing higher enrollment rates than other groups.
• Enrollment in Tennessee Institutions: Among Reconnectors who enrolled in Tennessee institutions, 87% chose community colleges, 6% enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), and 7% enrolled in four-year universities.
• Higher Persistence and Completion Rates: Reconnectors exhibited significantly higher persistence rates compared to other nontraditional students. For example, 55% of Reconnectors who enrolled in community colleges were still enrolled or had attained a credential two years later, compared to just 44% of other nontraditional students.
• Employment and Income Outcomes: Upon enrollment, 78% of Reconnectors were employed, a rate 13 percentage points higher than that of other nontraditional students.
• Broader Impact Across Demographics: The report also shows that persistence rates were higher among Reconnectors across a wide range of demographic groups, including gender, race/ethnicity, prior enrollment history, and income levels. This demonstrates that the Navigate Reconnect program has a broad and inclusive impact, supporting a diverse range of adult learners.

"High school students have guidance counselors, and college students have advisers. But what about people in between?" stated Dr. Celeste Carruthers, Fox Distinguished Professor at BCBER and author of the report. "It's challenging to think about going to college when you've been out of school for a while and you're juggling family and work. That's the population that Navigate Reconnect serves. We're studying Navigate Reconnect because there aren't many programs like this out there, and we want to understand more about how they work."

Tennessee was the first state to implement these services on a statewide scale for adults.

"I witness daily how our Reconnect Navigators are looking out for adult college students: helping them find solutions, offering information and guidance, and providing encouragement and support," said Jessica Gibson, THEC Senior Director of Adult Learner Initiatives. "We personally know their stories, their struggles, and their successes. We know how impactful our Navigators are with adult students' trajectories and this report backs that up."

THEC is committed to expanding the accessibility of higher education opportunities for adult students and continues to create and spotlight programs that address the specific needs of nontraditional learners.

For more information on Navigate Reconnect, please visit tnreconnect.gov.

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The Tennessee Higher Education Commission was created in 1967 by the Tennessee General Assembly. The Commission develops, implements, evaluates postsecondary education policies and programs in Tennessee while coordinating the state's systems of higher education, and is relentlessly focused on increasing the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential.