How One Ohio Initiative Is Boosting Degree Attainment for Community College Students
Higher Ed Dive
A program that provides low-income students at three Ohio community colleges with academic, career and financial support led to higher degree attainment and earnings over eight years, according to a new study from nonprofit research group MDRC.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cuyahoga Community College and Lorain County Community College launched the program in 2014 to boost student outcomes.
They based the program on the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs model, which was developed in 2007 by City University of New York to boost three-year graduation rates. The model, which provides up to three years of intensive financial and academic support services, has shown promise as a way to address common barriers that prevent students from finishing their diplomas.
Since the program’s launch at the three Ohio colleges, 46 percent of participating students earned a degree, compared to just 31 percent of students who had not received the same services and support, MDRC found.
Participating students also earned $3,337 more than the control group’s average of $24,596 by the eight-year mark, the report said. The model’s comprehensive support, as well as the labor market benefits of having a degree, may have helped those students land higher-paying jobs, according to the report.
“In a time of increasing public skepticism about the value of a college degree, these findings affirm the role of community colleges as a driver of economic mobility — and comprehensive student support programs like ASAP are an evidence-backed way to achieve that goal,” the report said….
….Although the three Ohio colleges were the first to replicate the ASAP program, more than 40 institutions in seven states have launched similar programs. Many of them have shown “similarly strong results for academic outcomes despite operating in substantially different contexts and with varied student populations,” the report said….
“….As more studies confirm the effectiveness of the program and new evidence shows that it increases earnings, additional states and colleges are recognizing that the program is a good investment for their students,” said [MDRC’s Colleen] Sommo.