MDRC Higher Education Publications http://www.mdrc.org Higher Education Publications, Fast Facts, Issue Focus Briefs, and Videos from MDRC us-en © 2007 MDRC 2008-06-19 Brad Petrie <brad.petrie@mdrc.org> Brad Petrie <brad.petrie@mdrc.org> MDRC Logo http://www.mdrc.org/images/site/nav_logo.gif http://www.mdrc.org Helping Community College Students Cope with Financial Emergencies: Lessons from the Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund Emergency Financial Aid Programs http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=z5hPIDDHAQuLn4jMJfdr For low-income students, education can be easily derailed by a temporary financial emergency, like the loss of a job or a car repair. This final report offers lessons from two programs created by Lumina Foundation for Education that provide emergency grants or loans to help students at risk of dropping out. Eleven community colleges participated in Dreamkeepers, and 26 tribal colleges or universities participated in Angel Fund. The Learning Communities Demonstration: Rationale, Sites, and Research Design http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=dmRC2Uou4EHJmX8N7XFA Launched in 2007 by MDRC and the National Center for Postsecondary Research, the Learning Communities Demonstration is testing models of this promising approach in six community colleges in five states. This report describes the research design, including information about the colleges and their models, the random assignment process, data sources, analysis plans, and reporting schedule. A Good Start: Two-Year Effects of a Freshmen Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=8JBIc049KnYX0fdwDWZl Freshmen in a learning community at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY, moved more quickly through developmental English requirements, took and passed more courses, and earned more credits in their first semester than students in a control group. Two years later, they were also somewhat more likely to be enrolled in college. Issue Focus: Community Colleges: The Unsung Heroes of Higher Education http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=xjqAhjzPzUTuziIZ9h1f Community colleges are the unsung heroes of higher education: They enroll close to half of all college students in this country. They serve disproportionate numbers of low-income students, first-generation college students, students of color, and working parents. And they prepare people for jobs that make our communities run: nurses, firefighters, police officers, child care workers, office accountants. Issue Focus: Bringing Attention to Community College Programs for Low-Income Students http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=cZzSeNul4YgUg1woXWWD The story of how community colleges are helping low-income students overcome challenges to success deserves more attention. The general public is largely unaware that community colleges enroll nearly half of all students in higher education more than 11 million annually. Or that community colleges offer an important pathway for many out of poverty and to better jobs. Issue Focus: Improving the Success of Low-Income Students in Community College http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=LYPJFw5he1SdtP3KqMNu Community colleges enroll nearly half of all students in higher education -- over 11 million annually. MDRC has embarked on a multifaceted new research agenda aimed at discovering how to dramatically increase the success of low-income young adults in school, the labor market, and life. VIDEO: Paying for Persistence: A Unique Scholarship Program to Increase Student Success at Community Colleges http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=EmPQ19sYJOcQuTktGyEW In this seven-minute video, MDRC researcher Lashawn Richburg-Hayes summarizes promising findings about a performance-based scholarship that boosted academic achievement and retention rates at two New Orleans-area community colleges. Fast Fact: Does Education Increase Economic Mobility? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=4JCJOwvPA9RAN9gLFmmT Fast Fact: How Much Is a College Degree Worth? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=o3cxrXvvYGx1gYjbKTX0 Fast Fact: Scholarship Program at Louisiana Community Colleges Improves Achievement and Retention http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=FtSG29Wts_ZTIjxqBDni