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This week, the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) and America Forward released a report analyzing the landscape of non-profit student success programs and the integral role they play in supporting students to and through education after high school – and increasingly, into careers. Drawing on a national survey of NCAN and America Forward Coalition member organizations, the report is a culmination of a joint initiative to better understand the services that leading non-profit organizations provide students, the barriers they encounter in building and scaling their programs, and what it would take to ensure that every student who could benefit receives access to evidence-based support.

Across the country, the landscape of student success programs is diverse and varied, with programs offering tailored services to support different student populations, needs, and contexts, ranging from case management to financial support to helping students make informed decisions and choose the postsecondary pathways that are a best fit for them. As the national college completion rate sits stagnant at 62%, and Americans’ concerns about the economic value of college remain high, these programs are crucial to ensure that students and families are making informed decisions about postsecondary pathways and that all students have the support they need to complete a degree. 

The findings from this research make the case for government to direct more funding to non-profit student success models. The findings also demonstrate the need for continued evidence-building and deeper support for the field as a whole. The report’s key takeaways include:

• Most programs cut across secondary and postsecondary education – meaning these organizations occupy a unique and critical space in the student success landscape. Most programs begin working with students while they are in high school (87%) and support their students into postsecondary education. Although rigorous research demonstrates the power of this approach to improve postsecondary outcomes, this model is challenging to resource: many funders focus discretely on either K-12 or postsecondary education, rather than bridging the gap between the two. 

• The cost of postsecondary education and mental health challenges were the two most frequently cited barriers to college completion. Alongside tuition and living expenses, more than half of respondents cited mental health and well-being as major barriers. 

• • Organizations provide a diverse array of services, responding to diverse community needs across the nation. The most common approach combines advising and financial aid support, and focuses on a targeted population – such as a public school district – starting in high school and continuing through college. At least half of the surveyed providers offer financial aid advising, success coaching, scholarship aid, emergency financial aid, and mentorships. Career advising is also a major, and growing, focus for many providers.

• Providers actively pursue data use and evaluation to drive program improvement, but need more support. Most organizations have participated in a formal evaluation to support their program improvement effort. While respondents prioritize data-driven strategies, fewer than half have access to K-12 schools or colleges’ academic data, and only about a quarter can leverage workforce outcomes data.

• Public funding for non-profit postsecondary student success work remains limited, in spite of the tremendous need for such programs. The vast majority of providers seek to scale, but most programs struggle to achieve the funding needed, in large part because so few (24%) receive any public funding – about half of the national average for nonprofits.

Policymakers should take note of these findings and take the following steps to improve student success and economic opportunity across the country:

• Invest federal, state, and local funding for student success initiatives. At the federal level, we urge policymakers to deepen investment in the Postsecondary Student Success Grants (PSSG) program to grow and scale high-impact programs, alongside key funding streams like TRIO, GEAR UP, and AmeriCorps. We also encourage state and local governments to build on a growing set of examples from Colorado to Maryland to Texas to support high-impact student success work.

• Provide greater access to federal student success funding for non-profit providers. Today, most of the dedicated federal funding streams for student success work exclude or limit participation among non-profit providers. With greater flexibility, these programs could better support providers’ ability to respond to local needs and implement innovative approaches. 
• Strengthen the infrastructure for student success. Survey respondents expressed deep interest in targeted support for program improvement and scaling, ranging from support for evaluation and research, dedicated communities of practice, financial and sustainability analysis, and data system and performance management assistance. Policymakers should invest in the infrastructure that makes stronger organizations, services, and ultimately outcomes possible.

Non-profit postsecondary student success organizations demonstrate the tremendous potential of American innovation and community-driven approaches. We urge policymakers to prioritize leveraging these organizations’ strengths as they seek to improve postsecondary and economic opportunity.

Read the full report here.