Enrolling children in college is not enough

Massachusetts’ universal free community college program succeeded in one important goal: It increased enrollment in its schools.

After years of declines, community college enrollment grew 8.7 percent in 2023, the first year of free college for students over age 25, followed by a projected 14 percent growth this fall, according to preliminary data The Ministry of Higher Education announced this on Tuesday. Overall, public higher education enrollment was expected to rise 6.5 percent this year, reversing years of declines, with enrollment at the University of Massachusetts essentially flat and up 1. 2 percent at other state universities.

However, the next challenge that education officials and colleges must address is keeping students in school until graduation. The latest data there are much less encouraging. Only 55.1 percent of students who attend public higher education in Massachusetts will earn a degree or certificate anywhere in the United States within six years. DHE.

At community colleges, only 34 percent of students entering in 2017 earned a degree or certificate in 2023, a number that has remained constant for six years. State universities (excluding UMass) have seen a downward trend in recent years in the number of students accumulating credits on time, persisting from one year to the next, and completing a degree. Of the class that entered in 2017, 69 percent obtained a diploma or certificate within six years, compared to 72.9 percent five years earlier. UMass performs best on these measures, with 77.4 percent of students graduating within six years.

The data also shows persistent racial disparities, with fewer black and Hispanic students graduating compared to white students in public higher education. Lower-income students — those eligible for federal Pell grants — also have lower completion rates than higher-income students.

Completion is important because someone who earns a degree or certificate is more likely to find a job and earn a higher wage. A report from the Boston Foundation, MassINC and the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy found that community college provides a path to economic mobility, with the greatest benefits coming to those who earn a degree.

How can schools better retain their students? Two key ways are to ensure students can afford their education and to provide comprehensive support services, such as academic advising and mentoring, to help students move forward.

The state has already invested in affordability by making community college free and increasing financial aid for low- and middle-income students at state universities. Perhaps more could be done to increase support for middle-income students or provide larger grants for needs such as childcare and transportation. This is evident from a recently published report by the State Advisory Council for the Promotion of Representation in Education proposes using financial aid to encourage full-time education and increasing the availability of need-based, rather than merit-based, aid.

Equally important is the focus on support services. The advisory board report calls for the provision of evidence-based services such as individualized counseling and coaching, mental health care, emergency financial assistance, and assistance with issues such as housing and food insecurity.

Some of this work is still ongoing. The Legislature created a scholarship program in 2021 to support students who are economically disadvantaged, first generation, minorities, have a disability or are LGBTQ. Early results are promising. A survey by the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges found that 63 percent of program participants persisted year to year in 2022, compared to 53 percent of their peers.

The current state budget includes $14 million to offer similar four-year grants to state universities for the first time. That’s a good thing. Vincent Pedone, executive director of the Massachusetts State Universities Council of Presidents, said campuses have been working on ideas to use that money, including buying early warning software to identify students in trouble, hiring academic coaches and offering of emergency money if a student needs financial assistance. , or training faculty in working with first-generation students.

One model worth investigating is in New York. The City University of New York created the ASAP program in 2007, which provides students with three years of financial and intensive academic support at a community college if they attend school full-time and participate in programs. After three years, 40 percent of ASAP participants earned an associate degree, compared to 22 percent of comparable non-participants. an independent study. After eight years, 52 percent of ASAP participants earned an associate degree, compared to almost 40 percent of their peers.

A version of the program for students seeking a bachelor’s degree was piloted at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2015, and a study found similarly positive results in helping students stay in school.

Three Ohio community colleges that adopted programs modeled after ASAP report 50 percent increase in the number of college graduates, higher rates of bachelor’s degrees, and higher earnings after college.

A group of Massachusetts education organizations – the Hildreth Institute, Latinos for Education, EdTrust and others – urged Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler will learn from the New York programs. Advocates told the editors that New York’s programs are more centralized and standardized than those in Massachusetts, with all colleges implementing the same evidence-based practices, such as having ASAP-dedicated counselors, career counselors and tutoring services.

Another potential model is Georgia State University, which uses predictive analytics and tracks each student’s course enrollment and performance via software. The system notifies you when a student registers for a course that does not apply to his or her degree, or receives a poor grade for a basic course. An advisor intervenes so that a student can register for another course or seek study assistance.

Getting students into college is the first step. The goal should be to get them out of college two or four years later with a degree.

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.