The Financial Needs of Students in Community College Promise Programs

Le résumé fourni par la source

Promise programs are a form of financial aid that cover tuition and fees for students to attend college. In this multiple case study of seven community colleges with localized promise programs that offered student support services, we conducted interviews with 32 student-facing practitioners, including six current, former, or interim promise program directors, about student financial needs and program resources, and analyzed 43 documents. We incorporated theoretical ideas from sensemaking, policy implementation theory, and street-level bureaucrats. Through qualitative data analysis triangulated with documents, we found that, according to practitioners, basic needs such as housing and food insecurity were the most frequently experienced financial challenge among promise students. Practitioners counseled students to avoid student loans, identified a need for greater financial literacy, and recognized the varying stability and generosity of revenue sources for promise programs. One program changed from last- to first-dollar; we explored the rationale and strategies behind this policy change.

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