Rowan partnership with OSHE and “ReUp” supports returning students for degree completion

Completing one’s four-year college degree carries a wide range of benefits, from better paying career options and greater job satisfaction to a higher rate of home ownership and an improved sense of self-worth.

For a decade, Rowan University has encouraged students who left before graduation to return to complete their degree but a new partnership with the State of New Jersey adds a greater level of support.

Rowan Vice President for Student Affairs Rory McElwee said the “Some College, No Degree” initiative, in partnership with the N.J. Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), and the private education firm ReUp, provides new opportunities and resources to returning students, whether they started their degree at Rowan or another college or university.

The program seeks to boost the number of college graduates in New Jersey because a better educated workforce encourages a stronger economy and a higher standard of living statewide. McElwee said OSHE officials estimate that more than 750,000 New Jersey residents have earned some college credit but no degree and it’s those students who officials hope will return.

“We have a long history of doing this work,” McElwee said. “The difference now is, OSHE and the governor have identified the Some College, No Degree (SCND) population and made college completion a major priority for the state. The ReUp partnership provided by OSHE significantly expands Rowan’s capacity to contact and support our former students, helping more return.”

Rowan offers a wide range of flexible degree programs, including in-person, online and hybrid, day and evening. Returning SCND students may be considered to enter any Rowan major, and may benefit from Rowan’s most flexible degree program, the Bachelor of General Studies. Partnerships with community colleges, including Rowan College of South Jersey, with campuses in Gloucester and Cumberland counties, and Rowan College at Burlington County, offer additional opportunities to complete one’s degree.

Grants and other resources for returning students

Rowan received a $200,000 grant from OSHE to support SCND re-enrolling students, enabling a wide range of benefits including flexible grants that may be used for expenses like childcare, transportation, course materials and technology.

In addition to student financial support, the funding has increased Rowan’s capacity for assisting SCND returners, including with faculty and staff expertise.

While the new partnership is aimed at reaching approximately 7,500 former Rowan students who left without a degree in the past 10 years, many other former students are eligible to re-enroll, no matter how long it’s been since they left college.

Former students interested in returning to Rowan may contact the Return to Rowan staff at returntorowan@rowan.edu. For more information, visit https://sites.rowan.edu/student-success/returning-to-rowan/.