Access our on-demand webinar: NC Reconnect’s multi-million dollar re-enrollment success

How 24 community colleges joined forces to bring thousands of adult learners back — and what others can learn from their journey

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In 2021, a bold idea took shape in North Carolina: What if community colleges across the state could come together to bring adult learners back to school — and back on track to graduation? That idea became NC Reconnect, and over the next few years, it grew from a five-college pilot into a 24-college statewide initiative that’s helped more than 2,600 learners return and generated $4.6 million in institutional ROI. So how did they achieve all that?

Our recent webinar, NC Reconnect: From an Initial Re-Enrollment Pilot to a Multi-Million Dollar ROI, dives into the data, the people and the partnerships behind this transformative effort. Moderated by InsideTrack’s Senior AVP of Partner Success Carrie Lockhert, the conversation features insights from Amy Ball Braswell (Forsyth Tech), Dr. Jody Call (Wilkes Community College), and Mike Krause (John M. Belk Endowment) — three leaders who have sparked and sustained impact through the program.

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From pilot to powerhouse: Scaling re-enrollment across North Carolina

The numbers alone are compelling: 42,971 stopped-out adult learners contacted. 2,635 re-enrolled. $4.6 million in tuition revenue recovered. But the real power of NC Reconnect lies in how those results came to be — and what they reveal about effective, scalable re-engagement strategies, including the decision to lean into InsideTrack Re-enrollment Coaching.

During the webinar, Dr. Call — who recently completed his dissertation on the impact of NC Reconnect — noted the importance of relationship-building and a shared vision. “This wasn’t just a data story,” he explained. “It was a story about trust — between schools, between coaches and students, and between institutions and their communities.”

Ball Braswell emphasized how the initiative has leveraged existing capacity while aligning stakeholders around a shared goal. “We were able to move quickly because we had buy-in — from faculty, from staff, from leadership,” she said. “Everyone saw the value in bringing these students back.”

The role of success coaches also emerged as a key theme. From the very beginning, InsideTrack coaches have been at the center of outreach — helping learners navigate financial aid, complete the re-application process and overcome personal barriers to re-enrollment. Krause underscored how this coaching model has contributed to sustainability. “You can’t just open the door and expect people to walk in,” he said. “You need to walk with them through that door. That’s what the coaching did.”

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Statewide partnerships, local impact

One of the most powerful takeaways from the conversation was how NC Reconnect struck a balance between state-level coordination and on-the-ground adaptation. While the initiative is funded and supported through the John M. Belk Endowment, each participating college shaped their own implementation strategies — informed by local needs, student demographics and institutional strengths.

That flexibility helped colleges stay nimble and responsive. Ball Braswell shared how Forsyth Tech used early feedback to fine-tune their outreach and support. “We learned quickly what messages resonated, what barriers students were facing, and how we could better meet them where they were,” she said.

For funders and policymakers watching from outside North Carolina, Krause offered this takeaway: “It doesn’t take a perfect system. It takes a committed one. We had the willingness to experiment, to learn and to scale what worked. That made all the difference.”

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Get the blueprint for re-engaging adult learners — and scaling impact

Throughout the webinar, panelists outlined practical steps for institutions, systems and funders looking to replicate NC Reconnect’s success. From securing leadership support to building trust with learners, they emphasized that transformation is possible — and it doesn’t have to start big.

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If you missed the live event (or would like to share it with a colleague), be sure to check out the on-demand recording. Push play to hear:

• How 24 colleges aligned around a shared goal and a proven model
• The role of coaching in removing re-enrollment barriers
• What the data reveals about adult learner needs and behaviors
• Strategies for institutionalizing success beyond pilot funding
• Advice for other schools, states and systems ready to take action

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Whether you’re in the early stages of a re-enrollment initiative or exploring how to scale an existing one, this is your chance to learn from those who’ve done it — and done it well.

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