By David Kirp

More than 15 million students enroll in college every year. While most of them start with high hopes of earning a degree, they drop out in droves. As an undergraduate I met some years ago while researching “The College Dropout Scandal” reminded me, “Anyone can get into college. The challenge is staying in college….”

….Here’s what works: Give these students the care and attention akin to what students get at elite schools, where just a handful of students drop out.

This is what City University of New York community colleges have been doing for nearly two decades. Last year the state university system followed suit, introducing this approach in 25 SUNY colleges and universities.

The strategy — called ACE (Accelerate, Compete and Engage) for university undergraduates, and ASAP (Accelerated Study in Associate Programs) for community college students — covers tuition that federal and state funds don’t pay for, as well as the cost of transportation and textbooks. Students take a common core of classes during their freshman year, fostering a we’re-in-this-together bond. Their course schedule accommodates family and work obligations.

New York’s recently adopted budget nearly doubles the size of the program, to 7,000 participants, and it will expand further in coming years. That’s great news: Investment in this common-sense initiative will reduce dropout rates statewide.

At many universities, no administrator knows whether a student is struggling until there’s a crisis — and even then, helping hands are nowhere to be seen. The ASAP and ACE students don’t fall through the cracks: Advising and counseling keep students on track to graduate. They appreciate that they aren’t treated as cash cows whose only worth is their tuition dollars, but as valued members of the campus community.

At CUNY, 53% of ASAP students graduated in three years. That’s more than double both the national and New York City graduation rate for community college….

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