{"id":12360,"date":"2025-05-14T09:04:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=12360"},"modified":"2025-05-14T09:04:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:04:32","slug":"degrees-within-reach-uwls-win-win-program-helps-126-former-students-cross-the-college-finish-line","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/degrees-within-reach-uwls-win-win-program-helps-126-former-students-cross-the-college-finish-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Degrees within reach: UWL\u2019s Win-Win Program helps 126 former students cross the college finish line"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UWL Senior Ryan Sneath is nine credits away from earning his general studies bachelor\u2019s degree after earning an associate of arts degree through the Win-Win program. \u201cIt has been a wonderful experience returning to class with a deeper understanding of myself and my goals,” he says.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Over the past four years, UW-La Crosse\u2019s Win-Win program has helped 126 former students turn unfinished college business into a proud accomplishment. The annual outreach initiative reconnects with students who were close to completing their degrees but left before finishing \u2014 giving them a clear, supported path to graduation.<\/p>\n

The results speak for themselves: Since 2020, 44 students have earned their bachelor\u2019s degree, while 82 have been awarded an Associate of Arts (AA) degree through the program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Back to the classroom, a decade later<\/h3>\n

Ryan Sneath left UWL in 2015 and spent the next decade working a wide range of jobs \u2014 bartender, cook, barista, and even owning his own goat grazing business. Then, in summer 2024, he received an email that changed everything. UWL staff informed him that his previously earned credits added up to an Associate of Arts degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt a sense of relief knowing my effort would be recognized,\u201d Sneath says. \u201cIt was proof of my work, time, and money spent at UWL.\u201d<\/p>\n

The news inspired Sneath to audit a sculpture class in fall 2024, and by spring 2025, he was enrolled full-time, working toward a bachelor\u2019s degree in General Studies. Coming back was an easy decision, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing around people who could open my eyes to new ideas \u2014 that\u2019s what drew me back,\u201d he says. \u201cI was excited to be able to bounce ideas off people in a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of his geography classes even takes place in the same room he sat in a decade ago. It\u2019s a reminder of how much he\u2019s grown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second time around, I have a learned perspective,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve realized that professors do the teaching, but I have to do the learning. You get out what you put in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sneath is on track to graduate in fall 2025. \u201cI\u2019ve learned how to apply myself \u2014 to stay curious, stay flexible, and keep learning,\u201d he says. \u201cMore things feel possible now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Personalized support, meaningful impact<\/h3>\n

Susan Schauer, a Wisconsin resident, mother and now a substitute teacher, says the Win-Win program saved her more than $3,000 and countless hours of coursework. After moving back to Wisconsin from North Dakota, she learned she needed at least an associate degree to work in area schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I was close, credit-wise,\u201d Schauer recalls, \u201cbut I was overwhelmed by the classes I needed to take at the community college.\u201d<\/p>\n

That changed when she contacted UWL.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin 10 minutes of speaking with UWL Academic Services Director Britta Osborne, she had my transcripts pulled up and let me know exactly what I needed to finish,\u201d she says. \u201cAll of my questions and emails were answered within the day, and I felt that it truly mattered that I was able to get it all finished.”<\/p>\n

Instead of continuing at the community college, Schauer completed her Associate of Arts degree at UWL in December 2024 \u2014 faster and more affordably. She now works as a substitute teacher in the St. Croix Central School District.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love subbing because it allows me to meet all of the kids in the district, and I get to work with most of the teachers, too. My days are rarely boring,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Behind the scenes of student success<\/h3>\n

The Win-Win program requires coordination across many campus offices \u2014 including the Provost Office; Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning; Academic Advising Center and Career Services; Records & Registration and the college offices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great example of a multi-unit UWL collaborative project that has a potentially life-changing impact on individuals,\u201d says Sandy Grunwald, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. \u201cIt exemplifies what makes UWL so great \u2014 people working together to positively impact our students, former or current.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Most students contacted by the Win-Win program express excitement, relief, and hope for the future, says UWL Academic Advisor Mic Nauman. The program shows that the university understands that life doesn\u2019t always follow a straight path, she adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents stop out for a variety of reasons,\u201d Nauman says. \u201cThe Win-Win program recognizes this and reminds them that earning a degree is still a possibility and we can work together to make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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About Win-Win<\/h3>\n

The Win-Win program targets former UWL students who:<\/p>\n