New adult degree completion program targets critical jobs

The state has awarded Oklahoma’s Promise tuition scholarships to new high school graduates for 26 years.

Now, higher education officials are making a promise to help adults who left college early to finish what they started.

The Oklahoma Adult Promise program is being funded with a $777,000 three-year grant from Lumina Foundation to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Oklahoma was one of five states selected for the grant to help adults return to college and complete their degrees. The other states are Indiana, Maine, Minnesota and Washington. The Adult Promise initiative is coordinated with the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.

The new program will build upon the Oklahoma’s Reach Higher adult degree completion program launched in 2007, Debbie Blanke, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Wednesday in a report to the regents.

“It’s in the 11th year and going very strong,” Blanke said.

The new adult program will assist individuals willing to pursue degrees to meet specific workforce needs on the state’s 100 critical occupations list. Officials have identified 17 occupations that require an associate degree and 40 that require a bachelor’s degree.

A key to success for adult programs is student support, Blanke said.

“Adult students come to us with a lot of baggage,” she said. That ranges from old student debt to family issues.

Institutions that participate in the new program must provide a campus coordinator to work directly with the students and provide financial assistance as funds are available.

The grant cannot be used for student financial aid. It pays for dedicated staff at the state regents office to assist the institutions with coaching, mentoring, advising and professional development.

The regents also will bring together partners from the business community, Native American education offices, philanthropic organizations and other state agencies to provide financial support to ensure the adults can finish their degrees with minimal cost to themselves.

The regents already have received a $40,000 commitment from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation for students in the Tulsa area, and a commitment of scholarships for up to 20 students per year at the University of Oklahoma.

In addition to pursuing one of the identified degree programs, students must be age 25-49, have completed 75 percent of work toward an associate degree or 50 percent toward a bachelor’s degree, and have at least a 2.0 grade-point average on previous college work.

Institutions that have signed on for the program to date are College of the Muscogee Nation, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Tulsa Community College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Cameron University, Langston University, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and OU.

An official signing of the partnerships is scheduled at 10 a.m. Nov. 14 in the Blue Room at the state Capitol.