More than 600-thousand Missourians have some postsecondary experience, but have not earned a college degree or credential. Some Missouri colleges and universities want to change that, through an initiative called “Degrees When Due.” The University of Central Missouri is one of the participating schools. Academic advisor Brenda Fuhr says they’ve been working to identify students who’ve stopped out, to see what their options are – they might have to finish up a few course requirements, or they may already qualify for what’s known as a general studies degree. She says financial concerns also are a factor.
A report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy, which runs the Degrees When Due national program, says about one-third of “near-completers” are missing courses specific to their major, over a quarter are missing general education courses and just under 15-percent are missing a math requirement. Laurel Hogue, also with the University of Central Missouri, is the vice provost for online and learning engagement. She notes U-C-M identified about 450 students in a five-year period who had left the university in good academic standing – meaning they had higher than a two-point-oh G-P-A and at least 90 credit hours. Hogue says a common reason for leaving was needing more flexibility, such as a hybrid or online option for classes, while others cited cost.
She adds the average debt for those students was just 18-hundred dollars. According to the report, 10-percent of folks with some college but no credential have actually already earned a degree, but it hasn’t been awarded – often because of financial holds or incomplete paperwork. Black, Brown and Indigenous students were more likely to be in that 10-percent than their white peers.