Much of the effort to increase postsecondary attainment in the US has focused on increasing the number of students who are college ready, bolstering support for students who successfully access college, and equipping adults who seek new skills with pathways to quality degrees and credentials with labor market value. In this context, it is noteworthy that a sizeable population of adults, young and old, are already eligible to receive a postsecondary degree; yet, for a variety of reasons, many have left college without receiving it. Many others are a semester or less from satisfying their institution's degree requirements. These students have invested substantial resources--tangible and intangible--in seeking a college credential, either at the associate's or bachelor's levels, but have left within striking distance of that degree. The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) refers to this phenomenon as "near completion". Leveraging its independent voice in higher education, IHEP seeks to elevate the issue of near completion and to outline ways in which institutions serving these students--as well as policymakers, researchers, and other education stakeholders--can reengage and graduate this population. This background paper for the National Summit on Near Completion discusses the scope and associated factors of near completion, as well as some initial efforts that may be promising in transforming near completion into degree attainment. The summit itself provides a forum for more in-depth discussions that can help shape a national agenda around the near-completion population. (Contains 8 footnotes.)