Kansas State University: 2+2 Partnerships with Community Colleges.

INTRODUCTION The key to economic success for the United States is an educated workforce. The US Department of Education estimates that each four-year college graduate generates on average $5,900 more per year than a high-school graduate in local, state, and federal tax revenues. In the United States, 40 million American adults currently have some college credit but no certificate or degree (Smith), and among young adults aged 25–34, 7 million have some college education but no degree (US Department of Education). A report from the Chronicle of Higher Education indicated that the US government, at both the state and federal levels, spent an estimated $9 billion between 2003 and 2008 on students who subsequently dropped out before the end of their freshman year. This article focuses on how Kansas State University (K-State) built partnerships with all 19 community colleges in Kansas and streamlined the process of providing place-bound adult students with access to complete a bachelor’s degree while continuing to live, work, and serve in their home communities. As a case study, it may offer other institutions practices and approaches in connecting community colleges with continuing education units.