For low-income people, community colleges offer an important pathway out of poverty and into better jobs. But a host of factors, including inadequate financial aid or student services and poor developmental classes, can keep them from enrolling in and completing postsecondary education.  more

Improving U.S. Global Competitiveness and Combating Poverty by Growing the Proportion of Adults with College Degrees A college degree is increasingly imperative in the knowledge-based global economy. In recent years, college completion rates in the U.S. have fallen behind those of several other nations. A growing body of evidence suggests that innovations in financial aid, curriculum and instruction, and student services can increase students’ persistence and success in college. Does Education Increase Economic Mobility? OMB Director Peter Orszag: Using Rigorous Evidence to Drive Policy Youth Today Profiles Community College Program Evaluated by MDRC MDRC’s Study of Performance-Based Scholarships in Louisiana Added to the What Works Clearinghouse

Getting Back on Track Effects of a Community College Program for Probationary Students Rates of graduation and degree completion at community colleges remain distressingly low. This report evaluates two versions of a program designed to help probationary students at community college succeed in school. One version increased the average number of credits earned, the proportion of students who earned a grade point average of “C” or higher, and the proportion who moved off probation. Rewarding Persistence Effects of a Performance-Based Scholarship Program for Low-Income Parents Promising Instructional Reforms in Developmental Education A Case Study of Three Achieving the Dream Colleges Helping Community College Students Cope with Financial Emergencies Lessons from the Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund Emergency Financial Aid Programs