This time of year brings a flood of joyful moments: graduation caps tossed in the air, college acceptance letters proudly shared, and hopeful new beginnings. It’s a reminder that education opens doors to opportunity. But not everyone crosses the stage at graduation. Some started college with big dreams but were forced to pause before they could finish.

Have you heard of a Stopped-Out Student? These students started college but never completed their degree – often leaving with debt, but without the degree that could open doors to greater opportunity. In Florida, 2.8 million students started college but have not earned a degree. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) saw an opportunity to help. Partnering with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Community Foundation Tampa Bay, and inspired by a successful model in Collier County, we helped to launch The Stop Out Student Initiative to bring these students back into the classroom—and back on track.

The Stop Out Student Initiative aims to re-engage “stopped out” students who started but did not complete their education after high school. The initiative is made possible thanks to generous support from local funders and represents a strategic investment in the future of our community.

That’s where Creah Demps, a dedicated Completion Coach from Community Foundation Tampa Bay, comes in. Creah works one-on-one with students who left State College of Florida (SCF) before completing their degree. Her job: help them overcome challenges to re-enrollment. This is particularly important for the students least likely to complete their degrees, including first generation college students. 

Finances are the biggest challenge. Creah demystifies the process, helping students access scholarships and financial assistance, and partners directly with the SCF admissions team. Navigators help not only with the logistics of college enrollment, but they provide one-on-one planning and goal setting. When students feel seen and supported it can be the tipping point between failure and success.

And it’s working! 262 students have re-enrolled at SCF, representing 5.5% of all stopped-out students who were contacted by the Completion Coach. That’s more than double the national re-enrollment average. 

One student said: “Pursuing my dream of becoming a nurse has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding journeys of my life. As a full-time nursing student, I dedicated every moment to my studies, knowing my future patients would one day depend on my knowledge and skills. However, the financial burden made my dream feel almost impossible to achieve. Just when I needed help the most, the College Completion Coach stepped in and changed everything. It was not just about help with tuition—it was about giving me the chance to focus entirely on my education without the constant stress of financial hardship. This assistance meant I could stay in nursing school, continue my clinical training, and move closer to my goal of becoming a compassionate and skilled healthcare professional. You didn’t just invest in my education; you invested in my future, my passion, and the countless lives I will one day impact as a nurse. This generosity reminded me I wasn’t alone in this journey and that there are people and organizations that truly believe in the power of education and the dreams of hardworking students like me. I will forever be grateful for the role they played in helping me turn my aspirations into reality.” 

This is how we build thriving communities with opportunities for all – one student, one story, one success at a time. 

If you or someone you know wants to go back to college, contact Creah Demps, Completion Coach at info@leaptampabay.org.

Jennifer Johnston is the Director of Community Leadership at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Pictured: Thomas Williams, Education Foundation of Sarasota County; Jennifer Johnston, Gulf Coast Community Foundation; Creah Demps, and Jennifer Libby, Community Foundation Tampa Bay presenting at the Florida College Access Network Summit 2025.