A second chance at K-State

By Susan Heim

Office of Enrollment Management

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026

When an automobile accident derailed Alexia Kopf’s educational journey, it forced her to take a hard look at what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Her desire to attend Kansas State University was clear — at 11 years old, she had painted her bedroom walls purple and accessorized with K-State curtains and a bedspread.

After several changes to her major and a serious accident in 2021 that forced her to drop out of school, she decided she wanted to pursue a career as a therapist. Fortunately, K-State was ready to facilitate her return thanks to the Comeback 'Cats program.

Kopf's story is one of many. Students are often forced to step out of college due to life circumstances, such as health challenges, family crises or financial difficulties. When they reach a point in their lives when returning to school seems possible, it often feels intimidating and overwhelming after being away for so long.

Through the Comeback ’Cats program, students are provided with options to ease their transition back to school, such as resuming studies online rather than in person, switching to a major that better fits who they’ve become, or receiving additional advising and support to finish their educational journey.

"The Comeback 'Cats initiative reflects K-State’s commitment to student success, lifelong learning and supporting Wildcats at every stage of their educational journey by reaching out to former students who have earned college credit but have not completed their degree—one of the fastest-growing populations in higher education," said Karen Goos, vice provost for enrollment management. "Through this program, K-State creates flexible degree pathways, strengthens outreach and support, and improves the onboarding process to help learners successfully return and complete their educational goals."

For Kopf, returning to K-State as an online student was the right choice. "I had an amazing experience online finishing my degree," she said. "The coursework fit around my lifestyle, my full-time work and taking care of my family. I would highly recommend anyone come back to K-State to finish their degree."