At the state and national levels, there is a growing recognition that improving college access in isolation is not sufficient. The focus on ensuring that students have the support they need to succeed has shifted the focus to persistence and completion. In research conducted with the New Jersey State Policy Lab and the Newark City of Learning Collaborative, I found that students in Newark and across the state can find college to be a very distinct experience from high school—one that they do not always feel fully prepared for.
These students need support but may not know how to obtain it or who to ask. In high school, they may have relied on older siblings, friends, school counselors, or a favorite teacher for guidance, but in college, they may not have those same networks to navigate the new environment with its differing expectations and norms. New Jersey’s colleges and universities often offer such services as laptop loan programs, tutoring, food pantries, housing support, mental health services, and emergency scholarship funds, among others, that are meant to help students persist. Yet many students are unaware of these resources or do not know how to access them.
While academic advising is an important aspect of collegiate success, many college students we spoke with do not have regular contact with their advisors. They find clubs and organizations for developing supportive networks, but participation can be difficult if they live off campus or work part- or full-time jobs. We’ve met students who do not know where to find the campus library or where to go for help with finding an internship. This is even after attending freshman orientation events. Often, it takes a personal connection with a professor, staff member, or peer to increase students’ awareness of and confidence in using resources. Students can benefit from first-year seminars that explain how to navigate campus and access resources, as well as teach needed skills like goal setting, time management, and academic planning. A campus-based peer mentorship program could also be helpful, or even a WhatsApp group where student ambassadors answer questions for new students on a variety of topics.
As mentioned in my last blog post, the state of New Jersey passed a mandatory Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion policy in January 2024, requiring all high school seniors to complete the form to graduate. As a result, many New Jersey students and their families receive support during high school with completing the FAFSA and college access. However, the FAFSA must be completed every year of college, and some students aren’t aware of this. College financial aid officers we spoke with reported that it can be challenging to track down students to complete the form in subsequent years. They also cited challenges with bridging the gap between state financial aid programs, such as the Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG), which funds associate degrees, and the Garden State Guarantee (GSG), which funds the last two years of a four-year college degree. Further, institutions reported that it can be difficult to facilitate transfer when students move from a two- to a four-year college or university.
We must bridge the gap not only between high schools and colleges, but also between community colleges and four-year institutions, so that the preparation, financial support, and other resources students receive are sustained throughout their academic careers. In addition, these supportive services should be available to youth even when they are not currently enrolled in school. In our research, we spoke with students who left college during the COVID-19 pandemic and found it challenging to return, partly because of limited support for stop-out or drop-out students.
It is particularly important, as students are seeking to enter college—not only from “traditional settings” like high school, but also returning to college after many years of working or pausing their higher education journey—that they have the right supports to not only access higher education but also persist and complete their degrees. Robust, personalized on-campus supports, access to community-based organizations that advise returning learners, and financial aid programs like the CCOG and GSG can make all the difference.