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November 2004
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Support Success
Services That May Help Low-Income Students Succeed in Community College
Rogéair Purnell and Susan Blank
with
Susan Scrivener and Reishma Seupersad
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This paper examines how U.S. community colleges can and do organize the diverse
set of guidance, counseling, and other supports — collectively known as student
services — that surround their academic programming. To many Americans, community
colleges are the most accessible way to earn the postsecondary degrees that can
be stepping stones to economic and personal success. In addition to typically
charging lower tuitions and using less stringent admissions policies than four-year
colleges and universities, community colleges are often better geared to the needs
of students who have low incomes and to so-called nontraditional students, such
as young single parents, financially independent adults, welfare recipients, students
of color and of immigrant backgrounds, first-generation college students, and
older and disabled students. However, many of these students never graduate from
community colleges. To address the problem of high attrition rates in these institutions,
MDRC has launched a demonstration called “Opening Doors,” which
provides for one of the nation's first large-scale experimental evaluations of
innovative strategies to help community college students complete their degree
programs. Besides curricular and instructional reforms and supplemental financial
aid, the third broad strategy being tested in the demonstration is the enhancement
of student services.
Drawing on a literature review, reconnaissance work to develop Opening Doors,
and information on early operations of the community college sites in the demonstration,
this paper provides an overview of the current state of student services and promising
practices for service delivery. It examines five interrelated but distinct elements
of a student services program: academic guidance and counseling; academic supports
(direct instruction and tutoring on academic subjects and skills); personal guidance
and counseling; career counseling; and supplemental supports like child care,
transportation help, and book and supply vouchers. In addition, it considers
two strategies for providing student services that cut across these categories:
(1) programs targeted to low-income and nontraditional students that offer combinations
of different kinds of counseling and supports and (2) multiservice centers. For
each element of student services, the paper highlights innovative practices found
at community colleges around the country. A concluding section offers observations
on needs and opportunities associated with the provision of student services in
community college settings.
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