University of North Texas 
Some College, No Credential Impact Collaborative
Reconnecting Talent to Opportunity
Many North Texas adults have started college but stopped before earning a credential.
TTA convenes regional institutions to improve the pathways, credit transfer, and support
practices that help these adults return and finish.
Adults with prior college credit are a large, nearby source of the skilled workers North Texas employers need
More than 800,000 adults ages 25 to 64 in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Sherman-Denison areas have some college credit but no degree, about 19 percent of that age group. By 2031, 63 percent of Texas jobs, more than 9 million, are projected to require education beyond high school. Helping these adults finish a credential adds skilled workers to the regional talent pool and opens access to jobs that lead to economic mobility.
Adults most often leave college because of finances, family, and work demands rather than academic struggles
Research on former students points to personal finances, family responsibilities,
and employment demands as the leading reasons for stopping out. These are barriers
that coordinated institutional support can address.
800,000+
adults (ages 25 to 64) with some college, no degree
63%
of Texas jobs projected to require education beyond high school by 2031
Building on statewide efforts, North Texas institutions can take a regional approach to re-engagement
Few adults with some college and no credential re-enroll without intentional outreach and efforts to reconnect them. Participating institutions can draw on existing statewide re-enrollment efforts for outreach support. Several community colleges and universities across the region are participating. TTA adds a regional layer, bringing institutions together to coordinate how returning learners are guided and supported once they respond.
A regional approach connects returning adults to the institution that best fits their needs
Re-enrollment efforts often focus on bringing former students back to the institution they left. This approach centers on the learner. A returning adult can be matched to any participating institution based on field of study, location, and goals, whether that is the original school or a regional partner with a faster or more relevant path.
Labor market intelligence points returning learners toward programs tied to in-demand fields and economic opportunity
TTA's regional data on in-demand occupations, validated with employers, is mapped to programs across participating institutions. Each learner's earlier coursework can then be matched to programs that lead to a credential tied to real regional job openings, with as few additional credits as possible.
TTA convenes North Texas institutions to improve pathways, credit mobility, and support for returning learners
TTA translates regional labor market insight into coordinated action with institutions.
The work includes:
Providing labor market intelligence on how the region's jobs, industries, and skills
are changing
Supporting North Texas institutions to offer education and training aligned with demand
and learner interest
Mapping in-demand regional occupations to programs so earlier coursework leads toward
a credential of value
Advancing credit mobility so learners can carry their earlier progress across institutions
without starting over
Sharing practices for advising, financial aid, and support that help learners succeed
after they return