Unpacking the Long-Term Impact of Holistic Supports for Community College Students

This paper presents longer-term findings from a randomized controlled trial of One Million Degrees (OMD), a comprehensive support program for community college students in the Chicago metro area that provides financial, academic, personal, and professional assistance. Results from an initial evaluation found that an offer of a spot in the OMD program led to increased college enrollment, persistence, and associate degree attainment three years after randomization. With eight years of follow-up, we find that these effects persist, indicating the program causes applicants to enroll in and complete more degrees rather than solely accelerating completion. The impacts are concentrated among students who applied while still in high school compared to continuing community college students. For high school applicants, participation in OMD significantly improved labor market outcomes: in every year after randomization, they were more likely to be enrolled in school full time or employed full time, and by year seven they earned higher wages and held more stable jobs. For students already enrolled in community college, effects on labor market outcomes are positive but not statistically significant. For both high school and community college applicants, we observe positive, albeit insignificant, effects on bachelor’s degree attainment eight years after randomization. Taken together, these findings suggest that OMD improves long-term employment outcomes with effects operating through both increased degree attainment as well as the broader benefits of mentoring and advising. Compared to other holistic support models, we find smaller (though less precise) effects for students already in college, but larger gains in long-run attainment and earnings for students applying directly from high school. This highlights the importance of extending holistic supports to students at the critical decision stage of initial college entry, rather than limiting the offer of supports to those who have already enrolled.