Many students who enter college do not finish, reflecting numerous academic, financial, and social barriers to postsecondary completion. Success Boston Coaching (SBC) provides students in the Greater Boston area with coaching during their first 2 years of college to help them overcome barriers to postsecondary completion and connect them to…

In this brief, the authors explore how students who complete multiple higher education programs should be treated in earnings data. The authors survey how existing policies and proposals address the topic and weigh the pros and cons of each approach and consider how different goals for earnings data might merit different approaches. This…

Student loan debt is at record levels in the United States. The negative psychological and financial effects for borrowers are well-documented. This article turns to the individual-level political effects of student loan debt. Rooted in the policy feedback literature, we examine whether the rise in student loan debt is associated with negative…

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of critical thinking (CT) and clinical judgment (CJ) skills of senior level associate degree nursing students entering nursing orientation programs. The purpose of this randomized Solomon four-group pretest-posttest comparative study was to compare CJ and CT of senior level ADN students entering…

The Colorado Re-Engaged (CORE) initiative, created under House Bill 21-1330, allows a four-year institution of higher education (IHE) to award an associate degree to former students who meet eligibility requirements -- including having already earned at least 70 credit hours before stopping-out of a bachelor's program. Under HB21-1330, each…

In Utah, earning a general education certificate or an associate degree increases the likelihood of earning a bachelor's degree. This analysis uses data from Utah's public higher education institutions, tracking students who first earned a general education certificate or associate degree in the 2016-17 academic through the 2022-23 academic year.

The Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Act, enacted on January 1, 2024, requires higher education public institutions to collect and report annually specified demographics and select outcomes and correctional facility to the ICCB for students in higher education in prison (HEP) programs. The intent of the reporting requirements is to provide…

This dissertation explores the impact of student organizations on the persistence of women in STEM programs at the associate degree level. The findings reveal that participation in SkillsUSA provides students with valuable opportunities for hands-on learning, skill development, and career exploration, all of which contribute to the persistence of…

A typical bachelor's degree within the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) requires 120 credit hours while a typical associate degree requires 60. If a student enrolls in 15 credit hours per semester, it would take them a total of eight semesters to complete 120 credit hours for a bachelor's degree and four semesters to complete 60 credit hours…

Community colleges in North Carolina offer a variety of associate degrees, including those designed for transfer to bachelor's degree-granting institutions and applied science degrees that lead directly to employment. As workforce demands evolve due to industrial growth and population changes, a considerable number of students are transferring…

The lack of access for the traditional clinical experience for nursing students, especially those in an Associate Degree nursing program, and the projected shortage of nursing faculty to educate nursing students in the clinical setting, fosters the utilization of different educational methodologies. The purpose of this action research study was to…

Faculty often play a key role in vertical transfer (student transfer from community college associate- degree programs to bachelor's-degree programs), including preparing students academically, advising them, and evaluating their transfer credits. However, faculty's knowledge and views about transfer have received little formal study. The current…

"Stackable" credentials offer opportunities for college students to start by earning short-term credentials in vocational and technical fields, then stack additional credentials as they progress in careers, building skills in the classroom and in the workforce. Stackable credentials come at a cost: colleges expend resources in developing…

Apprenticeships have recently gained renewed attention as an effective means to prepare individuals for the world of work even though this method of instruction dates back to 1937 with the passage of the National Apprenticeship Act. An even more recent development is the growth of degree apprenticeships, the aligning of postsecondary degree…

We investigate operating costs at 682 public community colleges in the United States over a 15-year period (2004-2018). The results reveal that costs are spatially correlated across neighboring institutions, indicating the need for a spatial analysis. An institution's actions are associated with changes in costs for that particular institution…