Arizona State University has launched a new initiative called Operation Comeback to help Arizona residents who started college at ASU but did not complete their degree to return and finish their degree.

READ MORE: Here’s why the Arizona economy is poised to accelerate

LOCAL NEWS: Want more stories like this? Get our free newsletter here

Through this effort, ASU will provide financial, academic and personal support for returning students, including financial help for qualified students with past-due balances, per-credit tuition scholarships for all students, and individualized advising from dedicated ASU reentry specialists.

The university set aside a fund specifically to invest in students with past-due balances who have left ASU without completing a degree. In some cases, those balances may be reset to $0. ASU estimates that about 500 students would immediately qualify, with the potential for many more after further account reviews.

In addition, Arizona residents who are not currently enrolled at ASU and return to ASU in the spring or fall 2026 semesters may be eligible to receive:

  • A $100-per-credit scholarship for campus-based programs or $120-per-credit scholarship for online degree programs.
  • An additional $1,000 scholarship for students with more than 90 credits earned who reenroll.
  • A customized academic plan to complete a degree as efficiently as possible.
  • A review to determine if the student qualifies for Quick Re-Entry, bypassing the need to reapply for admission.

“Every credit earned at ASU represents real effort and ambition,” said Nancy Gonzales, ASU executive vice president and university provost. “We want to help former students turn that investment into a completed degree that opens doors for them, their families and their communities.

“Like many Arizonans, I know personally the life-changing impact of earning my degree. My story, President Crow’s life story, and others like us who were the first in our families to earn a degree know firsthand how valuable a degree can be. Our charter states that we measure ourselves by whom we include and how they succeed. The goal of Operation Comeback is to remove barriers that are preventing former Sun Devils from realizing that success.”

Operation Comeback builds on the success of the AZ Comeback pilot program launched in May 2025 by the Arizona Board of Regents and the Helios Education Foundation. Through this program, 300 former Sun Devils returned to ASU to complete their degrees. 

As part of Operation Comeback, Arizonans who express interest in returning will be matched with a reentry specialist who will provide one-on-one advising that includes a review of degree progress, an audit of transferable credits and past-due balances, and counseling on career goals. Reentry specialists are versed in the full academic catalog and will provide returners with the fastest path to graduation.

ASU’s new initiative supports Arizona’s fast-growing economy, where demand for skilled workers continues to rise across industries, including technology, health care, business, science and communications.

“One of the biggest predictors of upward mobility and career success is the completion of a degree,” Gonzales said. “We are responsible for helping students — who have already shown the drive to pursue a degree — to make sure that life circumstances don’t stand in the way of their goals.”