Advocates for marginalized students have worked to understand the equity implications of public policy and its application on educational performance gaps. This study investigated equity policies in a southern California community college intervention program: the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). EOPS is an equity program created…

As the price of college and its associated costs continue to rise, students are often left without the necessary financial resources to succeed in class and cover their basic needs. According to previous research, a student's ability to cover essential expenses poses a significant barrier to degree completion. Students' ability to cover expenses…

While computing programs in the U.S. are experiencing growth in enrollment trends, they are still grappling with matters related to retention and persistence of computing undergraduates. One construct identified by scholars as having an impact on persistence in computing is computing identity, which is shaped by constructs such as recognition,…

What works to help community college students progress academically? This brief synthesizes 20 years of rigorous research by MDRC, presenting new evidence about key attributes of community college interventions that are positively related to larger impacts on students' academic progress. Findings: Findings are based on a synthesis of evidence from…

This report describes how six Colorado community colleges used $1.4 million of pandemic relief funding to support individuals pursuing short-term credentials. The authors examined state and college decisions about program eligibility, student eligibility, grant amounts, funding uses, and application requirements as well as outcomes for those…

In order to assist higher education institutions and their students during the pandemic, the federal government established the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund, which directed over $75 billion to institutions of higher education--including nearly $25 billion to community colleges--over a three-year period. The U.S. Department of…

The present study examines the impact of on-campus childcare on student parent success. Researchers believe the role stress they experience while balancing their responsibilities as students and parents, combined with their increased likelihood of experiencing financial stressors relative to their peers, impact their success outcomes. Supports…

Increasing the representation of skilled workers in STEM fields has been a priority in the United States, with a particular emphasis on supporting underrepresented groups. While urban areas with established higher education institutions have made efforts to engage underrepresented students in STEM, this study sheds light on the challenges faced by…

This study examines the root causes of student success and struggle in the first semester of a community college tuition-free promise program. The research is set within the context of the Gateway2NKU River Cities Promise Program (RCPP), a partnership between Gateway Community and Technical College (Gateway) and Northern Kentucky University (NKU)…

Given growing awareness of the high prevalence of food insecurity among college students, higher education leaders are implementing various food interventions on their campuses. However, there is little research on the efficacy and impact of these initiatives. Using data from a field randomized control trial, we find that a relatively modest…

While the Pell Grant covers a substantial proportion of college tuition for low-income students, it has covered only two full-time semesters per year and has not included any support for summer courses through most of its history. As research has shown that continuous enrollment throughout the year increases college persistence and completion, the…

The Independent Transfer Pathways in North Carolina Project served as a catalyst in forging a culture of cooperation between community colleges and independent colleges and universities in North Carolina by creating a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the two systems. The project focused on developing discipline-specific articulation…

Many empirical studies have established that financial aid improves college attainment. Few have been able to test why. This study used administrative records of employment and earnings to get a more complete picture of students' finances during college and test one potential mechanism, that financial aid buys students time by allowing them to…

"Free college" has become a catch phrase for a variety of policy proposals intended to support this national priority. Most free college proposals share important goals: to reduce costs to students and families, to increase the number of college graduates, and to help students acquire skills needed in the workforce. Free college…

Background: Promise programs are place-based financial aid awards that seek to promote postsecondary attainment by covering all or nearly all college tuition costs. In 2015 Oregon became the second state in the country after Tennessee to implement a statewide promise program (Higher Education Coordinating Commission [HECC], 2020). Oregon Promise…