Programs That Help Postsecondary Students

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Every month, WWC will highlight two new reviews of studies on postsecondary education, adding to the more than 10,000 existing citations about what works in education. Not all education research is equal and the WWC identifies well-designed studies, trustworthy research, and meaningful findings to inform decisions and improve student outcomes.
This month’s studies focus on evaluating the impact of two programs—one that helps incoming students who did not meet placement requirements for college-level coursework, and another that encourages low-income students to apply to a highly selective college.   
CUNY Start The City University of New York (CUNY) developed the CUNY Start program for incoming students who did not meet placement requirements for math, reading, or writing skills. CUNY Start is delivered during a student’s first semester. Students pay $75 for the program and do not need to use financial aid to participate. The program developers believe that CUNY Start will provide a long-term improvement in credit accumulation and graduation rates.
Featured study. Scrivener and colleagues (2018) conducted a study that examined the initial effects of the CUNY Start program on college readiness in math, reading, and writing, as well as on second semester enrollment and college credits earned.
Study findings. The study found that CUNY Start had statistically significant positive impacts on college readiness, and students who participated in CUNY Start also had higher second semester enrollment rates than their counterparts. Students who attended the program were found to have fewer college credits at the end of the first semester, but this was expected by the developers. 
WWC study rating. The study used a randomized controlled trial design and meets WWC standards without reservations. Access the full study review here, in the WWC’s review of individual studies database.
Closing the Gap with Targeted, Tuition-free Promise
The HAIL Scholarship outreach campaign mailed information packets to high-achieving, low-income high school who achieved a 3.3 grade point average and 1100 on the SAT. The packets encouraged students to apply to the University of Michigan (a highly selective school) and promised four years of free tuition and removal of fees to those who were admitted. It is noteworthy that these students would likely have received close to full tuition support even if they were not offered the HAIL Scholarship.
Featured study. Dynarski & colleagues (2018) conducted a study that examined the effects of the HAIL Scholarship on whether students applied to and enrolled at the University of Michigan students.
Study findings. The HAIL Scholarship had a statistically significant positive impact on students applying to and enrolling at the University of Michigan. The study provides evidence that outreach campaigns can have a positive impact on high-achieving students from low-income households, who might otherwise not attempt to attend a highly selective college.
WWC study rating. The study used a randomized controlled trial design and meets WWC standards without reservations. Access the full study review here, in the WWC’s review of individual studies database.
Search the Reviews of Individual Studies Database to find studies reviewed by the WWC. With thousands of citations in this database, you can explore studies that meet WWC design standards to find detailed information about study characteristics and ratings, as well as the WWC publication in which a particular study was cited.