Degrees When Due, led by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, is a national three-year initiative to help states and postsecondary institutions close attainment gaps and improve degree completion, especially for students with some college, but no degree.
In 2018, participating institutions in eight states joined the inaugural Degrees When Due cohort and learned how to implement strategies aimed at identifying degree-eligible students and successfully reengaging stopped-out students. In 2019, a second cohort of institutional and state partners joined Degrees When Due. The program has now reached over 150 institutions in 20 states.
Each year, almost one in five students enrolled in a postsecondary program falls short of earning a degree or credential, and nearly 4 million students nationwide have completed at least two years of college credits, but have yet to earn an associate degree. As new cohorts of campuses and postsecondary systems optimize policies to identify and support returning students, the initiative will result in as many as 500,000 new graduates.