For many colleges and universities, helping applicants meet admissions requirements – and increasing persistence rates – is a never-ending pursuit. By working with StraighterLine, you can deliver our online pathway program to your students that reduces “summer melt” and prepares them for college-level work. Here’s how one online school partnered with StraighterLine to deliver a pre-enrollment solution that helped increase college readiness and prepared students for success in their degree programs.
Challenge
One of our partners is a large online school. To be admitted, applicants need to meet prior credit requirements and have proven college-level math and writing skills. For applicants who do not meet these prerequisites, the school wanted to provide a path to help them complete their requirements, allowing them to be admitted and preparing for them for success in their degree program.
Solution
The school turned to StraighterLine’s “refer-and-return” pathway program to help students earn college level credit and build critical skills in a low-cost, low-risk environment. Students referred to StraighterLine were able to enroll in courses, proceed at their own pace, and get experience learning in an online program (study skills, time management, academic rigor), as well as use on-demand tutoring from subject matter experts when they needed additional assistance. Price point and our monthly tuition model keep costs and risks low. Once their StraighterLine courses were completed, students were referred back to the university to start their degree program.
Results
Students returning to the school from StraighterLine persist at rates much higher than their peers. After 7 months, students who had been a part of the pathway program were retained at a rate of 8% higher than those who had not gone through the program. After 13 months, the retention rate differential (14%) was even more significant; nearly 93% of students who had been through the pathway program were still enrolled compared to 79% of students who had not taken courses at StraighterLine. Our Academy pathway program can help your institution:
- Engage applicants who don’t meet admissions requirements
- Better prepare students needing college-level math or writing support
- Validate prospective students’ academic readiness so schools can accept students from a broader spectrum without risking success rates
- Engage stopped out students - bridge back to your degree program
- Provide a low cost option for students with affordability concerns or financial aid caps
- Address scheduling or availability issues
- Address academic progress concerns
Through our pathway programs, StraighterLine has helped more than 35,000 students in the last 12 months from diverse backgrounds meet a variety of higher ed goals. We invite you to learn more about us, our Academy, and other services. Let us help your school create and operate - with no upfront or ongoing costs - an online pathway program for your pre-college, at-risk and stopped-out students.
Have Questions?
If you have questions around how your school can work with StraighterLine, including Academy, partnerships, course articulation agreements, or ACE Credit transfer, give us a call today at (844) 407-1242 or visit our partnership website: https://partners.straighterline.com/
