On-Ramp & On-Boarding
Solid on-ramp/on-boarding solutions provide adult learners with a clear entry point into postsecondary education. Many adults return to school while balancing work, family, and financial demands. Effective on-ramp/on-boarding strategies ensure they have the right guidance, resources, and encouragement at the very beginning of their journey.
Through this initiative, the Michigan Center for Adult College Success supports colleges and universities in designing orientation models that are practical, accessible, and aligned with adult students’ real-world needs. Our goal is to make the “first mile” of college smoother, more transparent, and more supportive.
How On-Ramp/On-Boarding Solutions Work
On-ramp/on-boarding strategies focus on three key areas:
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Connection – Students are connected early to advising, financial aid counseling, and peer support networks.
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Navigation – Institutions help learners understand course expectations, stackable credentials, and transfer pathways.
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Confidence – By addressing both academic and personal needs up front, students begin with greater confidence and persistence.
This work aligns with other initiatives at the Center, including our research on adult enrollment and completion strategies, as well as programs that highlight holistic student support.
Why On-Ramp/On-Boarding Solutions Matter
When adult learners begin their journey with the right tools, their odds of success rise dramatically. On-ramp/on-boarding strategies create a more equitable higher education system by recognizing the unique strengths and challenges of Michigan’s adult population. By combining evidence-based practices with institution-specific design, we help learners build momentum that carries them through completion.
Photo by Allison Shelley/Complete College Photo Library
Select Reports & Articles
Math Pathway Design Initiatives
- Charles A. Dana Center Math Pathways
- Carnegie Math Pathways
Assessment Tools
Examples of State and Institutional Initiatives
Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) & Prior Learning Assessments (PLA)
Select Reports & Frameworks
- American Council on Education’s Credit for Prior Learning: Charting Institutional Practice for Sustainability
- Learning Recognition and the Future of Higher Education – A Vision for a Post-Pandemic Learning Ecosystem
- Equity Paradoxes in the PLA Boost
- American Council on Education’s CPL Implementation Framework
- American Council on Education’s Additional Resources
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’s 2024 Landscape of CPL in the U.S. and Canadian Higher Education
Toolkits
Using Stackable Credentials to Create Pathways to Associate’s and Bachelor’s
- Education Strategy Group’s Stackability Guide
- Credential As You Go’s Incremental Credentialing Framework
Examples of State and Institutional Initiatives
- Washington Student Achievement Council
- Ohio Department of Education CPL Strategies and Institutional Policies
- The City University of New York ASAP
Transfer Student Pathways
Select Reports & Resource Websites
- American Council on Education’s Reimagining Transfer for Student Success
- Effective Practices that Support Transfer Students
- Degree’s When Due (DWD) (reverse transfer pathways) Report and Playbook
- Community College Research Center’s Tracking Transfer: New Measures of Institutional and State Effectiveness
- Community College Research Center’s Transfer Resources Site
Examples of State and Institutional Initiatives
- Anoka-Ramsey Community College (DWD Cohort Member)
- Bowling Green State University (DWD Cohort Member)
- Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways
- Cuyahoga Community College Transfer Resources Page