State of Promise Programs During COVID-19

Date: April 2021

Postsecondary & Workforce Postsecondary Finance

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Overall, more than half of statewide Promise programs made changes to program components in response to COVID-19. Of the 15 programs that made changes, we found 11 programs adjusted eligibility requirements, with many relaxing requirements to maintain access and others imposing additional eligibility requirements in response to budget cuts. Of the programs that adjusted eligibility requirements, most sought to maintain or expand access for students to account for challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

The report explores the impact of race-specific state higher education funding policies in Minnesota, New Jersey, and North Carolina. It examines how these policies aim to dismantle racial inequities by directing resources toward Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students and the institutions that serve them. The research highlights the challenges and successes of outcomes-based funding and tuition discount programs in addressing racial disparities in college access and success. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing equity at both the student and institutional levels. Key findings include the positive impact of race-explicit metrics in funding formulas. These metrics have demonstrably steered resources toward under-resourced students and institutions serving diverse populations. However, the report also acknowledges the difficulties faced by Minority-Serving institutions and HBCUs when competing for funds under zero-sum models that limit overall resources. Additionally, the study explores the potential consequences of Promise programs on neighboring states, highlighting concerns about enrollment shifts and the need to consider the impact on community colleges. The recommendations emerging from the research urge policymakers to consider the full ecosystem of postsecondary institutions when designing funding initiatives, ensuring that funding programs are additive rather than overlapping to maximize outcomes. The report also emphasizes the importance of supporting additional costs of college in Promise programs to promote equity for students affected by systemic barriers. Furthermore, funding basic needs support and conducting needs assessments are recommended to ensure that initiatives effectively address pertinent needs and promote student success. More research is needed. The report suggests following the implementation of initiatives in North Carolina and Minnesota to assess their impact on racial disparities in completion. It also highlights the need to examine how institutions adjust their selection of optional metrics in outcomes-based funding formulas to better support marginalized student populations. Additionally, the study points toward the importance of exploring the intersection of outcomes-based funding and Promise programs to understand their implications on institutional funding and student success in higher education.

Publication

Examining the Effectiveness of Race-Specific Funding Strategies in Higher Education

Kri Burkander, Shafiqua Little, Mycaeri Atkinson

As states reckon with racial enrollment and attainment gaps in higher education, some have made efforts to address them through their higher education funding. Two common approaches are outcomes-based funding (OBF) and Promise programs, as…

Publication

“For the Good of the City” An Early Evaluation of the Catto Scholarship

Kri Burkander, Karin Gegenheimer, Alita Robinson

The Octavius V. Catto Scholarship launched in spring 2021 at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to help Philadelphians achieve college success. Inspired by 19th-century civil rights leader Octavius Catto’s belief in education for all, the…

Publication

Examining the Impact, Implementation, and Cost Effectiveness of Completion Coaching in a Statewide College Promise Program

Dae Y. Kim, Karin Gegenheimer

This study examines the effectiveness, implementation, and cost-efficiency of tnAchieves’ completion coaching program, which is designed to support Tennessee Promise students from low-income backgrounds. This program offers proactive coaching, which involves frequent, personalized contact initiated…

Publication

Top 5 Insights from RFA’s Community Research Partnership: Becoming a Community-Engaged Research Organization

Kate Callahan, Saxon Nelson

We at Research for Action are committed to becoming a community-engaged research institution, with the goal of having our work be grounded in principles of community empowerment, collaboration, and social change within K-12 education. We’re…

Publication

All Learning Counts Policy Toolkit

Virginia Hunter, Victoria Ballerini, Daniel Kent, Shanell Hagood, Montrell Sanders, Matthew Rigsby

Associated Project Expanding the Knowledge Base on State Policies that Validate Learning that Occurs Outside of the Classroom Abstract Every year millions of Americans gain valuable college credit-worthy learning through workplace training, the military, apprenticeships,…

Publication

State of Student Success Funding During COVID-19

Daniel Kent, Kasey Meehan

RFA found that over one third of states running SFF/PBF/OBF models in FY20 either implemented a new hold harmless provision, extended a FY20 hold harmless provision that had been set to expire, or paused their…

Publication

Research Update : Increasing college access, affordability, and success among Dallas County Promise participants

In May 2020, Research for Action (RFA) partnered with Commit Partnership to conduct a 14-month study of the Dallas County Promise. This overview provides summary findings from RFA’s preliminary exploratory analysis of outcomes associated with…

Publication

Promise Programs: An Avenue to Expand College Affordability, Access and Success for Undocumented Students

Victoria Ballerini

The Trump administration has advanced several exclusionary immigration policies while postsecondary institutions and higher education systems grapple with their effects. One of these policies was the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA, which was later…

Publication

Driving Awareness, Inclusion, and Integration for Racial Equity in Postsecondary Education

Kasey Meehan, Victoria Ballerini, Shanell Hagood

To support state efforts to close postsecondary attainment equity gaps for students of color, RFA developed a framework that describes three drivers behind efforts to place racial equity at the center of postsecondary policymaking and…

Publication

Developing a Statewide College Completion Agenda: Lessons From Tennessee

Kasey Meehan, Daniel Kent

Tennessee has gained national recognition for its comprehensive strategy to increase college attainment. This report describes the development and expansion of Tennessee’s completion agenda through a set of related and interlocking policies designed to produce…

Publication

Designing Equitable Promise Programs: Research-based Considerations for State Policymakers

Kate Callahan, Kasey Meehan, Shanell Hagood

Statewide College Promise programs have the potential to broadly increase affordability, access, and success for students pursuing a postsecondary credential. Statewide College Promise programs also generate controversy because they encompass critical decisions about how a…

Publication

Statewide College Promise Programs: Balancing Affordability, Access, and Student Success

Kri Burkander, Kate Callahan, Victoria Ballerini, Shanell Hagood

State-level postsecondary policymaking is daunting. Policymakers navigate through myriad fiscal, political, and ideological constraints and opportunities as they strive to address pressing state concerns or goals. While researchers and advocates may point to “perfect” policy…

State of Promise Programs During COVID-19

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