Higher ed leaders on ‘college promise’ programs in the Midwest

For more than a decade, “college promise” programs have been sprouting up across the nation as a mechanism to address college affordability, increase enrollment and college completion rates, and reduce out-migration. College Promise Programs in the Midwest: Insights for Higher Education Leaders, a new report from the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) researched and written by Laura Perna, vice provost for faculty and education professor at Penn’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), sheds new light on what these programs need to do to realize their promise.

“College promise programs came in all shapes and sizes, and everyone was experimenting with new ideas. Now we have clear evidence about the straightforward strategies for successful programs,” says Perna.

The report grew out of requests from Midwestern state leaders to explore what contributes to the success and potential challenges of promise programs, says Susan Heegaard, president of MHEC, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening postsecondary education.

Unlike traditional grant aid programs, college promise programs provide a clear, early guarantee for students who meet defined criteria that at least some of their costs of attending college—typically tuition—will be covered. By communicating “free tuition” without requiring students to first navigate complex admission and financial aid processes, well-designed promise programs can reduce uncertainty about affordability and encourage students to aspire to and enroll in college.

Read more at Penn GSE.