Higher education has long been structured with traditional students in mind—young adults fresh out of high school, living on campus, and attending full-time. But for adult learners balancing work, family, and personal responsibilities, the system often feels rigid and unwelcoming. College Unbound (CU) is redefining that experience, creating an accessible, community-driven model where working adults can achieve their degrees without sacrificing their livelihoods. Now, with the support of the Jolley Foundation, CU has taken root in Greenville, South Carolina, offering a long-overdue solution to the barriers adult learners face.

For many in Greenville’s first CU cohort, this opportunity is about more than just earning a degree—it’s about reclaiming a dream that once felt out of reach. As one student shared, “It was surprising to see the overwhelming support you receive. You hear about it, but you wonder if it’s really going to happen. It does.” Another reflected on how CU’s model could have changed the trajectory of her own family: “If my son had this support when he went to college, he probably would have stayed. He wouldn’t have felt lost on campus along with so many other students who were also feeling the same way.”

By embedding education directly within workplaces and communities, College Unbound ensures that learning is not an isolated experience but a collaborative journey—one where students receive the mentorship, flexibility, and encouragement they need to persist. This system-level change is what makes CU so transformative: it’s not just about graduation rates, but about reshaping higher education into a model that meets people where they are.

The Jolley Foundation, a champion of equitable education and economic mobility, recognized the urgent need for a model like College Unbound in Greenville. Their investment has helped bring this first-of-its-kind program to local students, ensuring that adult learners—many of whom have historically been overlooked—have access to the resources, coaching, and community support needed to succeed.

With College Unbound now firmly rooted in Greenville, made possible through the vision and support of the Jolley Foundation, the future is bright for working adults who have long been overlooked in the higher education landscape. With each new student who enrolls, persists, and earns their degree, Greenville moves one step closer to a more inclusive, equitable, and opportunity-rich future.