Community colleges are a gateway to postsecondary degrees for many students, including those from low-income backgrounds and marginalized populations. Yet, once students enter community college, many are faced with a host of complex administrative processes that can make it difficult to succeed. The pandemic exacerbated these and other barriers, as students were deciding whether they would continue to enroll full time, or enroll at all in college, and colleges were digesting new policies, implementing virtual classes, and determining the availability of new federal and state funding.
To address these challenges, 11 community colleges in New Jersey and two Historically Black Community Colleges (one in Alabama and one in Mississippi) joined the OnPath project. The goal was to help community college students stay enrolled during the pandemic.
OnPath researchers also collaborated with college staff members who interact directly with students—advisors, financial aid officers, registrars’ assistants, and student services staff—and who are all essential to running a college. These individuals have key insights about how to address issues related to academic success, but their insights are often lost.
This brief from MDRC examines OnPath’s use of research evidence and staff members’ perspectives and hands-on knowledge to build and improve college systems that benefit all students.