Making and Keeping a College Promise

College Promise programs are not new to higher education, but they have gained momentum in recent years with the rise of “free college” initiatives across the country. They emerged from the need to increase a workforce to meet the labor demands of local communities and have evolved to address higher education access and equity. Given the variety of models that exist and the thousands of students who have participated in these programs, the questions are: What does it mean for a campus to make a promise and what has that promise meant for students, their families and their communities?

This episode features Martha Kanter, Executive Director for the College Promise Campaign, Edward Smith, Program Officer with The Kresge Foundation, and Kate Mahar, Dean of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives at Shasta College. They share their research findings, innovative practices and recommendations on leveraging College Promise Programs to support student success.

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Higher Ed ReWired is produced by California State University.