Philadelphians Speak Up About Barriers to College Completion:

A #RealCollegePHL Report

David Koppisch, Sonja Dahl, and Sara Goldrick-Rab

September 2021

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Helping Philadelphians finish postsecondary degrees and certificates is essential to building economic security for residents. One in four Philadelphians live in poverty and more than one in six residents aged 25 or older started college but did not graduate.1 Comparatively, half of the city’s available jobs require at least some education beyond high school.2 Philadelphia remains the poorest of the country’s ten largest cities, and continues to trail Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., and other major U.S. cities in percentage of residents with college degrees. A lack of postsecondary education is associated not only with lower earnings and rates of full employment, but with poorer health and higher rates of “deaths of despair.”3

The Hope Center has documented how basic needs insecurity hinders access to and persistence in college.4 More than ever, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed and exacerbated basic needs insecurities among Philadelphians who haven’t gone to college. In 2020, those without a high school diploma were twice as likely as those with college degrees to have problems paying rent, buying food, covering medical costs, or meeting other financial necessities.5 It is clear that without higher education, large portions of our city’s population remain exceptionally vulnerable. Further, unlike in past recessions, the fallout of the pandemic also caused a downturn in higher education enrollment.6 As a result, the very colleges and universities aiming to serve students seeking a brighter, more secure future are facing significant economic struggles of their own.

This report shares results from a fall 2020 survey of Philadelphia residents and complements a recently released Hope Center report that documents the challenges of students currently enrolled in Philadelphia-area colleges. Together, these reports provide evidence of barriers to college attainment. If we are to successfully emerge from the pandemic-induced recession and reduce long-term poverty, we must collectively tear down these barriers. Some key findings from this report are:

• 72% of respondents who haven’t started or completed college are female and 52% are Black;• A majority of respondents, regardless of educational attainment, support a tax increase to fund free

education at the Community College of Philadelphia;• More than four in five respondents think the City of Philadelphia should do more to help college

students access SNAP and secure emergency aid grants;• Fewer than one in ten Philadelphians who haven’t started or completed college feel that the city’s

four-year schools are “very affordable”;• Two in five respondents without a college degree say that rent and childcare are “not affordable” for

those attending college; and• More than a third of those who haven’t started or completed college say they want to pursue a college

degree or certificate.

Given the persistent poverty rate and stubbornly low rates of postsecondary degree completion in Philadelphia, we have an opportunity to help tens of thousands of our neighbors achieve their dreams and increase their economic mobility by:

• augmenting existing community-based organizations like Graduate! Philadelphia, and college-run programs aimed at those who have not completed degrees;

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• expanding access to supports like the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)(especially given recent, though temporary, expansion of student eligibility) and subsidized childcare;

• creating a citywide emergency aid fund;• targeting culturally relevant outreach to those communities and neighborhoods with higher

concentrations of residents without college degrees;• supporting policy changes like the proposed Hunger Free Campus legislation, and• building on partnerships like the one between the Community College of Philadelphia and the

Philadelphia Housing Authority.

This report features experiences and opinions of individuals who have not completed a college degree but desire to do so. It also highlights a sampling of promising programs in Philadelphia and beyond, focused on helping people start or return to college. We hope that the resulting conversation spurs action on needed policy changes, and supports the work of organizations across Philadelphia that are helping individuals pursue their dreams of higher education.

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INTRODUCTION

One in four Philadelphians live in poverty and more than one in six residents aged 25 or older started college but did not finish.7 Meanwhile, half of the jobs available in the city are considered “middle skill” or “high skill,” meaning they require at least some education beyond high school.8 On average, these jobs pay far more ($19.43/hour for middle skill, $26.50/hour for high skill) compared to jobs that do not require education beyond high school (which average $14.40/hour) and therefore offer a greater chance at economic stability.9 Philadelphia remains the poorest of the country’s ten largest cities, and continues to trail Boston, New York City, Washington, DC, and other major U.S. cities in percentage of residents with college degrees. A lack of postsecondary education is associated not only with lower earnings and rates of full employment, but with poorer health and higher rates of suicide and other “deaths of despair.”10 It is imperative that we help Philadelphians finish postsecondary degrees and certificates.

The coronavirus pandemic emphasized the fault lines in our city, and our country, between those with college degrees and those without them.11 Across the country in spring 2020, the increase in the unemployment rate for workers with a high school diploma or less was more than double the increase among those with bachelor’s degree or higher.12 The shift to remote work, which was more often possible in jobs that college-educated workers hold, contributed heavily to this disparity. In the early months of the pandemic, 65% of employees with a bachelor’s degree or higher reported working from home, whereas just 22% of workers with a high school diploma said the same.13 In 2020, Philadelphians without a high school diploma were twice as likely as those with college degrees to have problems paying rent, buying food, covering medical expenses, or covering other financial necessities.14 By April 2021, nearly 4 million Americans without college degrees were still unemployed after losing their jobs earlier in the pandemic, compared to just 199,000 workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher.15

The pandemic also created challenges for Philadelphia-area colleges and universities. Filings of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—an indicator of upcoming enrollment—by Pennsylvania students were 7.1% lower in 2020 than in 2019 before the pandemic began, and were down again in 2021, by 4.8%.16 Nationwide, FASFA filings for high school seniors were down 8.1% in 2021 at high schools that serve large populations of minority students.17 In Pennsylvania, overall college enrollment dropped an estimated 3.1% from fall 2019 to fall 2020, and 3.8% from spring 2020 to spring 2021.18 Enrollment and persistence declines have been particularly pronounced among students of color, mirroring the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on this population of Philadelphians.19 For colleges and universities, these decreases have been economically devastating. Assistance from the federal government is expected to soften the blow, but the potential loss remains estimated at $146 billion.20 And if FAFSA completion rates and enrollment trends continue, the challenges of the 2020–21 academic year will persist into 2022.

In partnership with Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research (ISR), The Hope Center surveyed nearly 900 Philadelphians between the ages of 25 and 44 in fall 2020, focusing on responses from those who either never started, or started but did not complete, their degrees. Our aim is to accelerate the conversation about what it will take to achieve an equitable post-pandemic recovery and reduce poverty in our city, spur action on needed policy changes, and support the work of organizations that are helping Philadelphians pursue their dreams of higher education.

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In this report, we examine challenges to college completion nationwide, then zero in on the specific barriers faced by Philadelphians who are enrolling in college for the first time or trying to return after stopping out. We assess Philadelphians’ support for policy changes that could ease their entry or return, paying close attention to those actions that would improve students’ basic needs security. Lastly, we highlight local efforts to support students and offer recommendations for local and state policy makers, higher education institutions, and community-based organizations.

BARRIERS TO COMPLETING COLLEGE EDUCATION

For decades, the “new economics of college” have been reshaping American higher education, making the route to a college degree difficult for an ever-growing number of Americans.21 The federal Pell Grant once covered the full cost of attending community college, but now covers only about 60%.22 As a result, every year, thousands of students at the Community College of Philadelphia must find a way to pay the rest of their expenses. At four-year institutions, the decline in the purchasing power of the Pell Grant is even starker.23 Meanwhile, stagnant incomes, declining state support for higher education, rising wealth and income inequality, and a frayed social safety net have made a college degree more difficult to attain. Studies have found that many students leave college due to financial issues, including the inability to pay tuition and fees, the need to work additional hours, a financial disruption caused by family obligations, and the loss of financial aid.24

Most institutions of higher education were not originally designed for adult learners. Many are still set up to serve that imagined stereotypical student—full-time, age 18–24, only working part-time or not at all, and receiving support from their parents.25 In fact, 55% of undergraduates in the United States do not reflect these characteristics. They are older than 25, work full-time, have children of their own, or have served in the military. Many are financially independent. Further, 45% of today’s college students are nonwhite and 43% are low-income. Only 15% are full-time and live on campus.26 Low-completion rates for these structurally marginalized students, as well as racial disparities in who stops out of college, highlight the need to reform higher education policies and practices.27

Six years of national survey data collected by The Hope Center shows that, besides tuition, expenses such as food, housing, transportation, and childcare constitute major barriers to college completion. These costs can be particularly onerous for students who are not supported by private wealth. Our fall 2020 #RealCollege Survey of nearly 9,000 students at 13 Philadelphia-area colleges found that 28% were food insecure in the prior thirty days, and in the preceding year 42% were housing insecure and 12% had experienced homelessness.28 Rates of basic needs insecurity are consistently higher for students at two-year institutions and among students of color. They are also higher for women, LGBTQ students, students who are parents, and students who were involved with the foster care or justice systems.29 Basic needs insecurity is not only a financial issue but an academic one. Students who experience food insecurity or housing insecurity are more frequently beset by academic challenges than their peers, including withdrawing from classes and temporarily stopping out.30 Other research has also identified living expenses as a top reason students leave college.31 As a result of these barriers, many students do not complete their postsecondary degree or certificate.32

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Many Americans hoping to return to school are also daunted by the prospect of taking on or adding to student loan debt. One in eight Americans, about 42 million people, have student loans totaling approximately $1.5 trillion.33 There is growing recognition that student loan debt threatens the economic mobility of a whole generation. This has led to multiple federal proposals that offer varying degrees of student debt forgiveness.34

Not all former students are equally impacted by debt. Those who have not completed their degrees likely feel the weight more acutely.35 College graduates who have debt also have the hope, and real possibility, of a career that will enable them to pay off that debt in a reasonable amount of time. Those who leave school before graduating carry the burden of student loan debt without the employment opportunities conferred by a degree, and consequently have much higher chances of being unable to afford monthly loan payments. One study found that those who did not complete their degrees borrowed more per credit than those who graduated, and were more likely to be unemployed once they left college.36 The default rate among these borrowers who didn’t complete degrees is three times the rate for borrowers who earned a diploma.37

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THE DATA

To better understand Philadelphians’ college experiences and barriers to college attainment, ISR fielded our survey to members of its BeHeardPhillySM panel who were between the ages of 20 and 45. BeHeardPhillySM is a group of community members who have signed up to take surveys and participate in ongoing research driven by local government as well as nonprofit organizations and initiatives. Of the 2,593 BeHeardPhillySM members who were sent the survey via text or email, 800 completed it, resulting in a 30.8% response rate. ISR also launched a targeted Facebook ad seeking responses from non-White Philadelphians younger than 45, which resulted in an additional 100 responses.

Throughout this report, data is weighted on several demographic characteristics to produce estimates that are more representative of Philadelphia’s total population. ISR weighted the survey data using population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Communities Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). More information about survey fielding, weighting, and unweighted survey results can be found in the web appendices.

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Despite the use of survey weights, Philadelphians who attended college and finished with a degree or certificate, particularly those who graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree, were overrepresented in our sample. Of the approximately 900 Philadelphians who participated in this survey, 28% had either started but not finished a postsecondary degree or never attended college (Figure 1).38 Meanwhile, census data indicate that approximately 17% of Philadelphians age 25 and older have started a college degree without finishing, and 49% have never attended college.39 Further, many analyses are based solely on the portion of respondents who had either started but not finished a postsecondary degree or never attended college, so they may not represent the general population in terms of other characteristics. Nonetheless, these data allow us to offer initial insights about the experiences of Philadelphians who want to return to college or enroll for the first time.

FIGURE 1 | College Attendance and Completion of Philadelphia Respondents

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia Survey

NOTES | “Attended and finished” includes respondents who reported graduating from college with a postsecondary certificate, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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UNDERSTANDING PHILADELPHIANS WHO HAVE NOT COMPLETED COLLEGE

Since minoritized individuals are less likely to complete college, increasing college completion in Philadelphia is a matter of equity. A prior analysis of U.S. Census data by The Pew Charitable Trust’s Philadelphia Research Initiative shows that Philadelphians who began but did not finish their college degrees are disproportionately Black and female.40 Our survey results mirror this finding, with 72% of respondents who have not started or completed college identifying as female and 52% identifying as Black (Figure 2). Further, those who have not completed college are generally older than a so-called “traditional” college student. More than half of the respondents without a degree were between 35 and 44 years old, the oldest age grouping in our survey.

FIGURE 2 | Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Age of Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. Race and ethnicity were asked in separate questions; this analysis combines them into a single characteristic with non-overlapping categories. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size, as well as additional categories for race/ethnicity and age.

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In addition to disparities by race, gender, and age, certain sections of the city have higher concentrations of residents with no postsecondary degree, revealing a geographic disparity. The Pew report cited above shows that Northeast, Northwest, and West/Southwest Philadelphia have more census tracts where greater than 20% of the population has “some college, no degree” than other major sections of the city. Neighborhoods such as Oak Lane, East Mount Airy, and Wynnefield have large shares of the population with “some college, no degree” and are comparatively far away from most colleges and universities in the city.41 Generally these sections of the city are predominantly non-White and lower-income.42 In our survey data, approximately half of respondents who have not completed college live in North, Northwest, and Lower Northeast Philadelphia, with an additional 30% residing in South, West, and Southwest Philadelphia (not shown; see web appendices).

Lastly, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research has shown that more than a third of adults with “some college, no degree” are parents.43 Single parents as well as Black and Indigenous parents, particularly mothers, are more likely than their peers to have some college credits but no degree.44 While we did not collect information on parenting status in this survey, we suspect that this pattern holds true in Philadelphia as well.

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TAKING ACTION: GRADUATE! PHILADELPHIA

Graduate! Philadelphia's mission is to increase the number of adults completing a postsecondary credential in the Greater Philadelphia region, by engaging business, higher education, government, organized labor, workforce and economic development, community building organizations, social service providers, and college graduates to align existing resources, remove barriers, and create new pathways for adults to complete industry-relevant credentials and a college degree. Since its inception, this community-based organization has served close to 18,000 diverse, non-traditional Philadelphians, 10,000 of whom have completed a workforce or academic credential. Seventy-eight percent of the individuals they serve are African American women, 80% earn low-to-moderate incomes, and 70% fall between the ages of 30 and 50.45 Malik Brown, president and CEO of Graduate! Philadelphia, said “many colleges in the region are looking at adult learners as both a growing customer base and a way to contribute to the region’s economic recovery, by offering them a path to degree completion.”46

In 2005 Graduate Philadelphia was started as a joint initiative of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (PWIB), the Pennsylvania Economy League, and the United Way of Southeastern PA. In November of 2020, Graduate! Philadelphia was incorporated as its own 501(c)3.

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PERCEPTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR PHILADELPHIANS WHO HAVEN'T COMPLETED COLLEGE

Recognizing that affordability challenges influence college completion rates, we asked survey respondents who have not started or completed college about their perceptions of college affordability. Figure 3 shows these perceptions about specific local colleges and universities. Among respondents who have not started or completed college, only 28% rated the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) as “very affordable” (Figure 3). This stands in sharp contrast to respondents who have completed college, 80% of whom saw CCP as “very affordable” (not shown; see web appendices). This dramatic split in perception highlights the importance of considering community college affordability from the perspective of those they most aim to serve. No other institution was perceived as “very affordable” by more than one in five respondents who have not started or completed college. Several institutions were perceived as “not affordable” by more than half of these respondents.

FIGURE 3 | Perceived Affordability of Philadelphia Colleges and Universities, Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | Survey respondents could select “I don’t know” instead of a level of affordability, but results are drawn from those who selected a level of affordability. Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for results from the “I don’t know” option and for information about weighting and sample size.

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Similarly, we asked respondents who have not started or completed college to rate the affordability of specific living expenses for Philadelphia college students (Figure 4). Respondents overwhelmingly identified rent and childcare as the most acute challenges. Approximately two in five respondents rated each of these expenses as “not affordable”; no one rated them “very affordable.”

FIGURE 4 | Perceived Affordability of Basic Needs for Philadelphia College Students, Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | Survey respondents could not select “I don’t know” instead of a level of affordability for living expenses. Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. SEPTA, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is the public transit system in Philadelphia. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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With these substantial challenges regarding perceived affordability in mind, we asked Philadelphians whether they feel college is worth the price, and how that opinion might be shaped by their peers and community. A large body of research shows that a college degree is a worthwhile investment, by almost any metric.47 Yet the public has reservations about the extent to which colleges and universities prepare students for the workforce.48 A 2016 poll found that 29% of Americans felt that a traditional four-year college degree did not do a good job of preparing graduates for a well-paying job, and an even higher percentage (38%) felt that a two-year college degree did not prepare one for such jobs.49

Watching a friend or family member struggle to meet their basic needs while trying to cover the high costs of college may make some would-be students question the value of pursing a degree. Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents who have not started or completed college said that at least some people they know who went to college are in financial trouble because of student debt (Figure 5). Additionally, nearly two in five said that at least some people they know who went to college experienced trouble paying for food or housing because of college costs.

FIGURE 5 | Exposure to College-Related Financial Challenges, Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | The survey presented statements about college-related financial challenges, and respondents could select that the statement applied to “none,” “a few,” “some,” “many,” or “all” people they know in Philadelphia who went to college. This figure displays the percentage of respondents who selected that “some,” “many,” or “all” of the people they knew experienced each challenge. Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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Further, relatively few respondents (roughly one in four) who have not started or completed college said that many of those they know who did go to college were better off, or were living better lives, than the respondent (Figure 6). An additional 19% said only some people they know who went to college were better off. In total, less than half of respondents who have not completed college believe that those they know who went to college were better off for it. Meanwhile, 17% of respondents who have not completed college indicated that some people they know who went to college shouldn’t have gone. These results could indicate an ambivalence about higher education among those who never went to college or had to stop out, or a belief that college can benefit some people, but not everyone.

FIGURE 6 | Perceptions about Others’ College Experiences, Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | The survey presented statements about perceptions of others’ college experiences, and respondents could select that the statement applied to “none,” “a few,” “some,” “many,” or “all” people they know in Philadelphia who went to college. This figure combines “none” with “a few,” and “many” with “all.” Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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But despite these apparently mixed feelings and negative experiences, about two-thirds of Philadelphia respondents who have not started or completed college would “recommend” or “strongly recommend” college to a loved one (Figure 7). While these results warrant further exploration, they are reminiscent of prior studies in which Black and Latinx teens acknowledge the challenges of people around them to translate educational attainment into economic success, but nevertheless believe in the power of education.50

The results suggest that any effort to help Philadelphians complete their degrees must consider concerns about the benefits of higher education relative to the financial challenges it brings. Responding to those concerns, we must strive to mitigate those financial challenges as much as possible, especially for the most marginalized students, so that all those who seek a college degree can attain one. Such efforts may also benefit from considering how the desire to return to college is affected by the experiences of peers and family members.

FIGURE 7 | Likelihood of Recommending College to a Loved One, Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | The survey asked respondents if they would “strongly not recommend,” “not recommend,” “neither recommend nor not recommend,” “recommend,” or “strongly recommend” to someone they love that they go to college. This figure combines “strongly not recommend” with “not recommend,” and “recommend” with “strongly recommend.” Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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TAKING ACTION: Chestnut Hill College H.O.P.E. Scholarship Program

Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia recently launched its “Helping Others by Providing Education” (H.O.P.E.) Scholarship Program. The program, funded by a three-year, $300,000 grant from the college’s former board chair Margaret McCaffery and her husband, Michael, provides financial support for qualifying students to return to Chestnut Hill’s Accelerated Adult Degree Program (AADP) and finish their education. In its first year, the College reached out to nearly 50 former students who had completed more than 75% of their coursework and met other criteria. Fourteen students reenrolled in spring 2020 as the first program’s cohort.

“One of the biggest problems we’ve had is many of our students are starting their degree, but they’re running out of aid [when they are] almost to the finish line,” said April Fowlkes, executive director of AADP, which enrolls about 400 students, mostly women and students of color. “These students historically have faced considerable financial, academic, and personal difficulties related to their studies. The H.O.P.E. program will help them make it across the finish line,” said the college’s current president, Sister Carol Jean Vale.51

Gwendolyn Washington-Smith completed her B.S. in Early Childhood Studies, in May 2021, through Chestnut Hill College's H.O.P.E Scholarship Program.

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EXPERIENCES OF PHILADELPHIANS WHO ASPIRE TO COMPLETE COLLEGE

Understanding Philadelphians’ hopes for higher education is a critical part of supporting degree attainment in our city. In one nationally representative survey, three out of five adults, ages 23–55 and without a bachelor’s degree, said they had considered returning to college to pursue a degree or certificate.52 The vast majority of those respondents had already taken some college classes or earned an associate’s degree. Another study found that adults who had already made substantial progress towards a degree (the equivalent of two years of full-time study) were more likely to re-enroll in college and graduate.53 These findings support the approach of providing additional assistance to those who have made that progress and want to return. Nationally these “near completers” constitute about one-tenth of the “some college, no degree” population.54

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Despite the perception among many that a college education is unaffordable and feelings of ambivalence about its cost-benefit, more than a third of respondents who have either stopped out of college or never started want to pursue a college degree or certificate (Figure 8). Of these students, most would like to finish a postsecondary certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree. Further, three in 10 Philadelphia respondents who have started but not completed college said that they were enrolled at an area college or university, and of those, four in 10 expressed their interest in being contacted about returning (not shown; see web appendices). This data could inform recruitment strategies of high education institutions citywide.

FIGURE 8 | Educational Ambitions of Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | Results are among respondents who have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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Studies suggest that adults are most often motivated to pursue higher education for financial or career reasons, but that personal fulfillment and inspiring others are important as well.55 Among Philadelphia survey respondents who have not started or completed college but aspire to do so, financial reasons were the most common motivator (Figure 9). More than four in five wished to pursue a college education so they could make more money, and three in five hoped to get a job or advance at work.

FIGURE 9 | Reasons to Pursue College Education among Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | Results are among respondents who 1) have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college and 2) aspire to complete some form of postsecondary credential. Respondents who are currently enrolled in college are excluded. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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Nevertheless, despite the desire to earn a degree, many Philadelphians were pessimistic about their ability to achieve their educational ambitions (Figure 10). Forty-five percent of respondents who wish to complete college thought that it is “unlikely” or “very unlikely” that they would accomplish this goal in the next five years. Only about one in 10 believe they are “likely” or “very likely” to do so.

FIGURE 10 | Perceived Likelihood of Achieving College Ambitions Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | The survey presented perceived likelihood on a five-point scale: “very unlikely,” “unlikely,” “neutral or undecided,” “likely,” and “very likely.” This figure combines “very unlikely” with “unlikely,” and “likely” with “very likely.” Results are among respondents who 1) have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college and 2) aspire to complete some form of postsecondary credential. Respondents who are currently enrolled in college are excluded. Cumulative percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

Given that many Philadelphians are interested in completing a college credential but do not believe they are likely to do so soon, it is critical to address the barriers—real and perceived—that prevent them from realizing their dreams. Past research has shown that finances and basic needs, including challenges stemming from employment schedules, transportation limitations or costs, and childcare and family responsibilities, not only cause students to stop out, but also stymie their returns.56 Institutional policies that make it difficult and confusing for students to reenroll, such as withholding transcripts due to trivial unpaid debts, present additional obstacles.57

A growing number of colleges around the country are using some of their Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) allocations to clear debt owed by students with outstanding balances. For example, at Elizabeth City College in North Carolina, nearly $300,000 in unpaid tuition and fees from fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters will be forgiven for students who faced COVID-19 hardships.58 Back balances like these often haunt students for years as they prevent transcript release and discourage re-enrollment.

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When we asked Philadelphians seeking a college credential about the barriers, the most common concerns were financial (Figure 11). More than three in four respondents stated that they would not be able to afford tuition, and more than half stated that they would not be able to afford living expenses, including food and housing. Insufficient access to affordable childcare also ranked high on the list, highlighting a particular challenge facing parents hoping to enroll or reenroll.59 These findings affirm that basic needs insecurity not only hinders degree completion for current college students, but also stands in the way of those who wish to return or enroll for the first time. Compared with their financial concerns, far fewer Philadelphians worried about having insufficient information, potentially losing a job, or a lacking encouragement.

FIGURE 11 | Reported Barriers to College Attainment among Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College

More than three in

four respondent

s stated that they

would not be able to

afford tuition,

and more than half

stated that they would not be able

to afford living

expenses, including food and housing.

These findings

affirm that basic needs

insecurity not only hinders degree

completion for current

college students,

but also stands in

the way of those who

wish to return or enroll for

the first time.

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | Results are among respondents who 1) have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college and 2) aspire to complete some form of postsecondary credential. Respondents who are currently enrolled in college are excluded. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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STUDENT DEBT AS A BARRIER TO COLLEGE COMPLETION

Half of our survey respondents who have attended but not completed college are carrying student loan debt (Figure 12). One in five owe more than $10,000. This debt strains their current finances and presents a potential obstacle to them returning to college. Paying for tuition, living expenses, and childcare is daunting enough for many first-time students – even if federal loan payments are deferrable while still in school— but additional borrowing can be financially ruinous for those already thousands of dollars in debt.60

Non-white and economically disadvantaged communities are burdened the most by student loan debt. For example, Black students take out more in student loans, and their loan balances are much more likely to exceed their original amounts, than students in every other racial group.61 In Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve Bank found that borrowers living in zip codes in the lowest-income quintile experienced higher rates of severe student loan delinquency, with the highest rates occurring in zip codes with large percentages of Black and Hispanic residents.62 This pattern is replicated across the country, and reflects systemically racist policies that have prevented families of color from accruing wealth.63

FIGURE 12 | Student Debt of Philadelphia Respondents Who Have Attended But Not Completed College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia Survey NOTES | Results are among respondents who have attended college without completing a degree or certificate. Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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TAKING ACTION: The Octavius Catto and PROMISE Scholarships at Community College of Philadelphia

In 2020, the City of Philadelphia partnered with the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to launch the Octavius Catto Scholarship. Over the next five years, the city projects that $55M will be spent on the Catto Scholarship. The Scholarship will support approximately 5,000 first-time CCP students with not only “last dollar” tuition support, but critical non-tuition resources including funds for books, food, and transportation and connection to needed services like affordable housing and childcare that can make or break a student’s ability to stay enrolled.64 Catto Scholars are also supported by a team of Catto Success Coaches and other support staff, ensuring students are able to access resources, meet their personal and professional goals, and complete within three years. This promising model for supporting #RealCollege students could be expanded to include those who did not finish college and who want to return. Further, in 2020, Community College of Philadelphia launched its PROMISE Scholarship program which enables eligible graduates from Philadelphia public high schools to pursue an associate’s degree debt free.65

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SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia SurveyNOTES | The survey presented statements about free tuition proposals on a five-point scale: “strongly disagree,” “disagree,” “neither agree nor disagree,” “agree,” and “strongly agree.” This figure shows the percentage of respondents who selected “agree” or “strongly agree.” Results for “Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College” are among respondents who 1) have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college and 2) aspire to complete some form of postsecondary credential. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

ATTITUDES TOWARD PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE

Building on the momentum for addressing rising college costs and how they impact student basic needs, we sought to understand Philadelphians’ support for policy proposals that address college access such as free college, increasing student access to public benefits, and creating a citywide student emergency aid fund. We were particularly interested in measuring levels of support for these proposals among Philadelphians without college degrees who aspire to enroll in college, which is the group we presume would most benefit from such policies.

In the first several months of 2021, Congress proposed at least five bills to make, at minimum, the first two years of a college education tuition- or debt-free.66 Many states are also moving to reduce the cost of college, especially for the non-sterotypical student.67 Philadelphia survey respondents expressed strong overall support for these kinds of proposals. Specifically, 56% of all respondents supported a tax increase to fund free tuition at the Community College of Philadelphia, and 41% supported a tax increase to fund free tuition at Temple University (Figure 13).

FIGURE 13 | Support for Free Tuition Proposals, Overall and Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College

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Other mechanisms for supporting students go beyond tuition. For example, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is the nation’s most important anti-hunger tool, has tremendous potential to support retention and completion by reducing students’ food insecurity. A study conducted at a public university in California showed that enrolling in SNAP was associated with a boost in retention rates among students experiencing basic needs insecurity.68 Given the high levels of food insecurity among Philadelphia-area students, and that concern about food costs is a barrier to re-enrollment, we wanted to know if the general population supported efforts to expand SNAP access. We found that 89% of all survey respondents—and 98% of those who have not started or completed college but want to do so—agreed that the City of Philadelphia should help college students connect with SNAP benefits (Figure 14).

Similarly, when we asked Philadelphians about a city-supported emergency aid fund available to students at any college in the city, we found overwhelming support. Emergency aid—small grants to help students with basic needs, such as rent, food, and other costs incurred because of unforeseen circumstances—has gained prominence since the start of the pandemic.69 Studies have shown that as little as $250 in emergency aid can make the difference between a student graduating on time or not.70 Emergency aid can be funded by individual institutions or by philanthropy, but it has a wider reach when funded publicly through such programs as the CARES Act passed in 2020 during the pandemic.71 Four in five respondents, and nearly all of those who aspire to enroll in college, agreed that the City of Philadelphia should create an emergency aid fund to help students with crises like overdue rent or utilities payments (Figure 14).

FIGURE 14 | Support for Local Policy Proposals, Overall and Among Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College

SOURCE | College Experiences and Aspirations in Philadelphia Survey NOTES | The survey presented statements about free tuition proposals on a five-point scale: “strongly disagree,” “disagree,” “neither agree nor disagree,” “agree,” and “strongly agree.” This figure shows the percentage of respondents who selected “agree” or “strongly agree.” Results for “Philadelphia Respondents Who Aspire to Enroll in College” are among respondents who 1) have either attended college without completing a degree or certificate, or never attended college and 2) aspire to complete some form of postsecondary credential. Percentages are based on weighted sample. See web appendices for information about weighting and sample size.

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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Far too many Philadelphians, especially Black Philadelphians and women, are held back by unrealized dreams of college. The barriers in their way—not only rising tuition costs but also the costs of meeting their basic needs, like food, housing, and childcare, while enrolled—must be addressed if our city is to have an equitable recovery from the current recession and reduce structural poverty.

Fortunately, there are several signs of hope, some of which we have highlighted throughout this report. Additionally, the #RealCollegePHL coalition, led by The Hope Center, brought together more than two dozen Philadelphia community organizations and colleges to better serve the basic needs of our city’s college students in 2020. New relationships and partnerships formed through this initiative have helped increase utilization of community resources such as St. Joseph’s House for homeless college students, operated by DePaulUSA in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia, and student-led anti-hunger efforts like Sharing Excess, Challah for Hunger, and Swipe Out Hunger, which organize students to address food insecurity on campus. Organizations like Graduate! Philadelphia, highlighted above, also have a long history of supporting the successful reenrollment of those who started but did not finish college.

Local higher education leaders are also stepping up to support the basic needs of their students. Many Philadelphia area colleges and universities participated in The Hope Center’s #RealCollege Survey, which measures levels of basic needs insecurity in order to more effectively respond to those needs. Some of these institutions are hiring basic needs coordinators and creating basic needs webpages to steer students more effectively to resources and public benefits. LaSalle University, for example, recently created a Single Stop office for centralized support and referrals for students in need. Building on these promising practices and developments, we recommend the steps on the following page for policymakers, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations.

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Local and state policymakers can support returning students by:

• Exploring the creation of a citywide emergency aid fund: Area philanthropic, corporate, and politicalleaders should consider creating a citywide emergency aid fund to supplement existing funds at collegesand universities. When students can get help paying for unexpected medical bills, car repairs, or otherurgent needs, they are more likely to stay in and graduate. Emergency aid is not only a useful tool forsupporting current college students, but it can also be used to entice students who have stopped out toreturn to college. As seen above, the creation of a citywide emergency aid fund has the support of manyPhiladelphians. See the Hope Center’s work on Emergency Aid here.

• Expanding Philadelphia’s Poverty Action Fund: This $10 million fund, created by Philadelphia CityCouncil in 2020 and managed by the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey(UWGPSNJ), aims to lift 100,000 Philadelphians out of poverty by 2024 through investments inproven or promising anti-poverty initiatives.72 The fund is a great start, and we recommend that itexpands its scope to support programs serving Philadelphians who have some college but no degree.

• Expanding the Catto Scholarship: This recently launched program will provide approximately 5,000first-time, full-time Community College of Philadelphia students with supports they need to graduate,including “last dollar” scholarships, financial aid awards for books, food and transportation, and wrap-around support services. The local philanthropic and corporate community should invest to double thenumber of student participants, and to include those who started but who had to stop out of CCP oranother college.

• Helping expand student access to SNAP: Pennsylvania should continue to promote the temporaryfederal expansion of SNAP eligibility for college students and to provide guidance to colleges regardingthe expansion. The city should also let the federal government know about the impact that the expansionhas had for Philadelphia students, as well as how popular SNAP access remains among Philadelphians.Further, city-supported and other efforts like BenePhilly, COMPASS, and the Coalition AgainstHunger SNAP Hotline, which help enroll area residents in public benefits programs, can be enhanced bytargeting outreach to college students.

• Expanding affordable childcare for students: More than one-third of adults who have started but notfinished college are parents, and our survey results indicate that 38% of Philadelphians who wish tocomplete their college degree cite the costs of childcare as a major barrier.73 The PennsylvaniaDepartment of Human Services should ensure that more students can access childcare subsidies andallow the pursuit of a postsecondary credential to satisfy any compliance, work participation, or coreactivity requirement. And the city’s efforts to expand free pre-K for eligible parents should be fullyfunded.

• Supporting Hunger-Free Campus Legislation: Pennsylvania House Bill 1363, introduced in the GeneralAssembly in 2021, would provide significant resources for colleges to pilot or expand anti-hunger effortson campuses. Several states have passed similar bills and The Hope Center, in partnership with SwipeOut Hunger and Challah for Hunger, is leading the effort to expand similar legislation in other states.74

• Supporting tuition- and debt-free college proposals: The Pennsylvania congressional delegation shouldsupport recent proposals, including the America’s College Promise Act, College for All Act, and theDebt-Free College Act, that would help make at least the first two years of college tuition- or debt-free.

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Colleges and universities can directly support returning students by:

• Examining promising practices: While many programs that help students start or return to collegehave not yet been subject to rigorous evaluations, there are promising efforts that should be looked toas possible models. In addition to local initiatives cited above (the H.O.P.E. program, Graduate!Philadelphia, Broad Street Finish Line scholarship program, and the Catto Scholarship), highereducation leaders across Philadelphia should study programs that are helping people start or return tocollege in other states. For example, College Unbound serves more than 100,000 Rhode Islandresidents who started but did not complete their degrees, through a unique, personalized, interest/project-based curriculum model. The Fountain House College Reentry program in New York workswith students who stopped out of college for mental health reasons, through a 14-week program ofacademic skill building, wellness, and college reentry action planning. With heightened mental healthchallenges during the pandemic causing many students to stop out, this model could provide usefullessons for colleges.

• Streamlining student supports: Colleges must ensure that students, including returning students, canmake “one stop” when seeking out resources and that the process for getting support is astransparent and simple as possible. This will require collaboration between front-line staff and collegeleadership and the creation of a highly visible, well-resourced, single point of contact to lead basicneeds efforts. Colleges should strengthen partnerships with community-based organizations whichcan provide non-academic supports that institutions struggle to provide on their own.

• Expanding discounted transit passes for Philadelphia students: Not all Philadelphia colleges participatein SEPTA’s discounted transit pass program for students, which means that students are often forcedto allocate significant portions of their budget to transportation costs.75 The School District ofPhiladelphia offers free transit passes to students whose commutes to high school are longer than acertain distance. Extending that support to community college students is worth considering.

• Expanding affordable childcare access: Institutions of higher education should advocate for greaterchildcare subsidies for their parenting students and should work creatively with local partners toprovide affordable childcare. Examples of best practices from organizations like Generation Hope canoffer guidance for serving this segment of the college-going, or college-aspiring, population. Inaddition, colleges need to provide family-friendly spaces on campus and flexible academic schedulesto meet the needs of adult learners and parenting students.

• Using HEERF funds to help the return of students who left school during the pandemic: The HigherEducation Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III), authorized by the American Rescue Plan inMarch 2021, provides $39.6 billion to higher education institutions to serve students and ensurelearning continues during the pandemic.76 The law improves upon its two predecessors in that itspecifically allows funds to be used to help students who left college after March 13, 2020, for anyreason.77 Institutions of higher education, therefore, should use a portion of their HEERF IIIallocation to help Philadelphians who recently stopped out of college and who might not return if notfor specific financial assistance. Most schools have until early 2022 to spend these funds.

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• Expanding outreach and marketing: Forty percent of those who stopped out of Philadelphia-basedinstitutions and want to return expressed a desire to be contacted by those schools to discussreenrollment. Further, research suggests that reenrollment campaigns are effective when theyinclude a financial component in addition to an informational one.78 Because most Philadelphianswho did not complete college degrees identify as Black and female, and reside in certain sections ofthe city, institutions should tailor their outreach efforts in culturally relevant ways and providefinancial support beyond tuition assistance.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) can offer critical support to students who want to return

to college by:

• Forming strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships with colleges: Colleges do not have unlimitedresources to meet the basic needs of returning students, many of whom come fromneighborhoods where CBOs are rooted. At the same time, many community organizations haveexplicit goals of helping residents achieve social and economic mobility. CBO leaders shouldintroduce themselves to student affairs leaders, let them know they care about their students, andexplain how to refer students to their services. Both colleges and CBOs will benefit by ensuringthat basic needs supports don’t stop because a community member is pursuing a college degree.Further, CBOs can play a critical role in supporting students with the re-enrollment process. It’simportant for CBOs to understand how students who wish to return to college can do so. Andforming partnerships with colleges would allow for streamlined benefits access for students.

• Promoting public benefits: Many returning students could benefit from and are eligible forprograms like SNAP, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance forNeedy Families (TANF), Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC), and Low-Income HomeEnergy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). These initiatives can help them solidify their financialfooting before restarting college. Many CBOs are experts in helping people navigate theseprograms and can be enormously helpful to colleges that don’t have that expertise. CBOs canform partnerships with colleges to be their dedicated benefits referral resource.

• Developing community-specific engagement strategies: Philadelphians who started but did notcomplete college are predominantly Black women and are concentrated in specific sections of thecity. They are also, on average, older than 35—well above the age of a so-called “traditional”college student. Therefore, community organizations with strong ties to these neighborhoods orwith significant experience serving these Philadelphians can play critical roles in helping theseindividuals return to college.

For information on national policy recommendations, read The Hope Center’s policy priorities. For details on several of the recommendations above, see the resources section of our website.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge financial support provided by the Lenfest Foundation. The data in this report was collected via the Institute for Survey Research (ISR) at Temple University’s BeHeardPhillySM project. We are grateful to the team at ISR, without whom we would not have been able to publish this report. We also extend our gratitude to the nearly 900 Philadelphia-area residents who shared their experiences with us, and to Malik Brown of Graduate! Philadelphia and the Mayor’s Office of Education for providing feedback on a working copy of this report.

Many Hope Center staff contributed to this report. We are grateful for their support:

• Research and writing: Christine Baker-Smith, Vanessa Coca, Sarah Magnelia, Paula Umaña, andCarrie Welton

• Communications: Rjaa Ahmed, Deirdre Childress Hopkins, and Melissa Paone

We also thank Cory Oldweiler for copyediting services.

Finally, we deeply appreciate the images provided by the New College Majority Photo Series, courtesy of the Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation, as well as the images provided by the images provided by Community College of Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill College, La Salle University, Temple University, and the University of the Arts. The images in this report reflect the college experience under more normal circumstances, before the pandemic began. Featured colleges have implemented safety measures on their campuses, such as facial coverings and physical distancing.

FUNDER DISCLOSURE

The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of our funders.

ABOUT BeHeardPhilly SM

BeHeardPhillySM is a civic engagement and community access tool used to understand the opinions, thoughts, and activities of Philadelphia residents. BeHeardPhillySM is a group of community members who have “opted in” to take surveys and participate in ongoing research driven by local government and nonprofits. As of summer 2020, BeHeardPhillySM had 10,918 members who reflect the demographics of the city. For those working in the social sector, BeHeardPhillySM is a cost-effective and convenient resource for understanding community attitudes and perceptions, and conducting public opinion research in Philadelphia. BeHeardPhillySM is owned, managed, and operated by the Institute for Survey Research at Temple University.

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ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR SURVEY RESEARCH

The Institute for Survey Research (ISR) at Temple University is a nationally renowned academic research organization based in Philadelphia. Over the last 53 years, ISR has led or contributed to hundreds of projects on topics related to transportation, safety, crime, health, and education. The majority of these projects have involved working with “hard-to-reach populations,” particularly in Philadelphia, to better understand their opinions, behaviors, and actions. ISR is a leader in the field of data collection, with expertise in focus group research, phone interviewing, and database creation and management, and pioneered the use of SMS text messaging in research. ISR maintains a staff of highly trained field interviewers. ISR regularly collaborates with researchers across Temple University and at other institutions throughout Philadelphia and the nation.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Koppisch, D., Dahl, S. & Goldrick-Rab, S. (2021). Philadelphians speak up about barriers to college completion: A #RealCollegePHL report. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. Philadelphia, PA.

About The Hope Center

The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University is redefining what it means to be a student-ready college, with a national movement centering #RealCollege students’ basic needs. Food, affordable housing, transportation, childcare, and mental health are central conditions for learning. Without those needs being met, too many students leave college in debt and/or without a degree.

To learn more about the report’s authors, visit hope4college.com/team/. For media inquiries, contact Director of Communications Deirdre Childress Hopkins, at deirdre.hopkins@temple.edu.

1 Eichel, L., & Schmitt, M. (2018). Who’s not finishing college in Philadelphia? A look at the barriers some face in earning their degrees. The PEW Charitable Trusts.

2 Philadelphia Works. (2018). Diversity & equity in Philadelphia: Middle skill employment for residents?

3 Flaschen, K., & Castleman, B. (2020, September 7). The road back to college is paved with barriers, but behavioral science can help smooth the way. Behavioral Scientist.

4 Goldrick-Rab, S., Baker-Smith, C., Coca, V., Looker, L., Richardson, B., & Williams, T. (2020). #RealCollege 2020: Five years of evidence on campus basic needs insecurity. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

5 The PEW Charitable Trusts. (2020). How COVID-19 has undercut Philadelphians’ physical and financial wellbeing.

6 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2020). Current term enrollment estimates (Fall 2020); National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2021a). Current term enrollment estimates (Spring 2021); Erdley, D. (2020, September 24). Pennsylvania colleges take a hit in undergraduate enrollment. Trib Live.

7 Eichel & Schmitt, 2018.

8 Philadelphia Works, 2018.

9 Philadelphia Works, 2018.

10 Flaschen & Castleman, 2020.

11 Prior to the pandemic, Philadelphians who started but did not finish college were more often employed and had a higher household income compared to those with a high school diploma, but were less often employed and had a lower household income compared to those who graduated college. See Eichel & Schmitt, 2018.

12 Daly, M. C., Buckman, S. R., & Seitelman, L. M. (2020). The unequal impact of COVID-19: Why education matters. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

13 Daly, Buckman, & Seitelman, 2020.

NOTES AND REFERENCES

14 The PEW Charitable Trusts, 2020.

15 Long, H. (2021, April 22). Many left behind in this recovery have something in common: No college degree. The Washington Post.

16 National College Attainment Network. (2021). Form your future FAFSA tracker..

17 DeBaun, Bill. (2021, July 19). FAFSA Completion Declines Nearly 5%; Nation Loses 270K FAFSAs Since 2019. National College Attainment Network.

18 National Student Clearinghouse Research Center [NSCRC], 2020; NSCRC, 2021a. 19 NSCRC, 2020; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. (2021b). Persistence and retention: Fall 2019 beginning cohort.

20 Whitford, E. (2021, February 9). Colleges could lose $183 billion during pandemic. Inside Higher Ed.

21 Goldrick-Rab, S. (2016). Paying the price: College costs, financial aid, and the betrayal of the American dream. The University of Chicago Press.

22 Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K. M., & Hernandez, D. C. (2017). Addressing basic needs security in higher education: An introduction to three evaluations of supports for food and housing at community colleges. Wisconsin Hope Lab.

23 Gravely, A. (2021, June 25). Doubling Pell has broad support, but is it attainable? Inside Higher Ed.

24 Ortagus, J., Skinner, B. T., & Tanner, M. (2020). Investigating why academically successful community college students leave college without a degree. The Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida; Cox, B. E., Reason, R. D., Nix, S., & Gillman, M. (2016). Life happens (outside of college): Non-college life events and students’ likelihood of graduation. Research in Higher Education, 57, 823–844; Joo, S., Durband, D. B., & Grable, J. (2008). The academic impact of financial stress on college students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 10(3), 287–305; Peters, E. E., & Roberson, A. J., & Voight, M. (2019). The cost of opportunity: Student stories of college affordability. Institute for Higher Education Policy.

25 Money, T., Littky, D., & Bush, A. (2015, June 9). To knock down barriers for returning adult learners, RI tries something new. New England Board of Higher Education.

26 Koumpilova, M. (2019, October 31). Colleges struggle to adapt to changing demographics: More diverse student body poses challenges in admissions, teaching and counseling. Educational Writers Association.

27 Money, Littky, & Bush, 2015; Crosta, P. M. (2013). Characteristics of early community college dropouts. Community College Research Center, Columbia University Teachers College; Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Huie, F., Wakhungu, P. K., Yuan, X., Nathan, A., & Bhimdiwali, A. (2017). Completing college: A national view of student completion rates – Fall 2011 cohort. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

28 Koppisch, D., Dahl, S., Magnelia, S., Goldrick-Rab, S., Coca, V., & Gill, J. (2021). Securing the basic needs of college students in Greater Philadelphia during a pandemic: A #RealCollegePHL report. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

29 The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. (2021). #RealCollege 2021: Basic needs insecurity during the ongoing pandemic; Goldrick-Rab, S., Coca, V., Kienzl, G., Welton, C. R., Dahl, S., & Magnelia, S. (2020). #RealCollege during the pandemic: New evidence on basic needs insecurity and student well-being. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice; Goldrick-Rab, Baker-Smith, Coca, Looker, Richardson, & Williams, 2020.

30 Silva, M. R., Kleinert, W. L., Sheppard, A. V., Cantrell, K. A., Freeman-Coppadge, D. J., Tsoy, E., & Pearrow, M. (2017). The relationship between food security, housing stability, and school performance among college students in an urban university. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 19(3), 284–299; Healthy CUNY and The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. (2020). The state of food security at CUNY in 2020: An assessment and recommendations. CUNY School of Public Health and Health Policy.

31 Ortagus, Skinner, & Tanner, 2020.

32 The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. (2021). #RealCollege 2021: Basic needs insecurity during the ongoing pandemic; Goldrick-Rab, Baker-Smith, Coca, Looker, Richardson, & Williams, 2020.

33 Looney, A., Wessel, D., & Yilla, K. (2020, January 28). Who owes all that student debt? And who’d benefit if it were forgiven? The Brookings Institution.

34 National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. (n.d.) Legislative tracker: Loans & repayment.

35 Johnson Hess, A. (2021, July 23). Millions of student loan borrowers don’t have a diploma to show for their debt. CNBC; Nadworny, E., & Lombardo, C. (2019, July 18). “I’m drowning”: Those hit hardest by student loan debt never finished college. NPR.

36 Wei, C. C., & Horn, L. (2013). Federal student loan debt burden of noncompleters. U.S. Department of Education: National Center for Education Statistics.

37 Nadworny & Lombardo, 2019.

38 Nine hundred people responded to the survey, but six were excluded from analysis because the respondent completed fewer than four survey questions or reported a zip code outside the Philadelphia city limits.

39 Figure 1 is based on a unique survey question. Through existing information from the BeHeardPhilly panel, we also have data on respondents’ highest level of education using a standard question from the U.S. Census Bureau. See web appendices for a direct comparison between census population estimates for Philadelphians ages 20–45 and unweighted and weighted survey estimates.

40 Eichel & Schmitt, 2018.

41 Eichel & Schmitt, 2018.

42 U.S. Census Bureau, American Communities Survey. (2017). Predominant racial or ethnic group between 2013-2017 [Map]. PolicyMap; U.S. Census Bureau, American Communities Survey. (2019). Estimated median income of a household income between 2013-2017 [Map]. PolicyMap.

43 Hensly, C., White, C., & Cruse, L. R. (2021). Re-engaging student parents to achieve attainment and equity goals: A case for investment in more accessible postsecondary pathways. Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

44 Hensly, White, & Cruse, 2021.

45 Per information from the program.

46 Snyder, S. (2021, March 8). A new scholarship at Chestnut Hill College will help adult students return and finish their degrees. The Philadelphia Inquirer.

47 Pew Research Center. (2016). The state of American jobs: How the shifting economic landscape is reshaping work and society and affecting he way people think about the skills and training they need to get ahead; Belfield, C. R., & Bailey, T. (2011). The benefits of attending community college: A review of the evidence. Community College Review, 39(1), 46–68; Trostel, P., & Chase, M. (2015). It’s not just the money: The benefits of college education to individuals and to society. Lumina Foundation: Lumina Issue Papers.

48 Pew Research Center, 2016.

49 Pew Research Center, 2016.

50 Carter, P. (2005). Keepin’ it real: School success beyond black and white. Oxford University Press; Harris, A. (2011). Kids don't want to fail: Oppositional culture and the Black-White achievement gap . Harvard University Press.

51 Snyder, 2021.

52 Champlain College Online. (2019). Adult viewpoints 2017: Online learning & the back-to-school decision.

53 Shapiro, D., Ryu, M., Huie, F., & Liu, Q. (2019). Some college, no degree: A 2019 snapshot for the nation and 50 states. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

54 Shapiro, Ryu, Huie, & Liu, 2019.

55 Champlain College Online, 2019; Kinser, K., & Deitchman, J. (2007). Tenacious persisters: Returning adult students in higher education. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 9 (1), 75–94.

56 California Competes. (2018). Back to college, part one: California’s imperative to re-engage adults ; Higher Ed Insight. (n.d.). From contact to completion: Supporting returning adult students in obtaining a college credential; Champlain College Online, 2019.

57 California Competes, 2018; Higher Ed Insight, n.d.; Institute for Higher Education Policy. (2013). Issue brief: Project Win-Win at the Finish Line.

58 Kelly-Goss, R. (2021, May 26). ECSU clears student debt for students experiencing COVID-19 hardships .

Elizabeth City State University.

59 Hensly, White, & Cruse, 2021; Goldrick-Rab, S., Welton, C. R., & Coca, V. (2020). Parenting while in college: Basic needs insecurity among students with children. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

60 Nadworny & Lombardo, 2019.

61 Perry, A. (2021, July 6). Column: Student debt cancellation isn’t regressive, it’s anti-racist. The Hechinger Report.

62 Tranfaglia, A. (2020). Student loan debt in Philadelphia. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

63 Price, A. (2020). Don’t fixate on the racial wealth gap: Focus on undoing its root causes. The Roosevelt

Institute.

64 McCrorey, C. (2020, March 5). Catto Scholarship: Transforming students’ lives through education. City of Philadelphia. The term “last dollar” means that the aid covers students’ outstanding tuition balance after they have received federal, state, and other financial aid.

65 Community College of Philadelphia. (n.d.). 50th Anniversary PROMISE Scholarship.

66 Walter, M. (2021, April 26). New bills push for free college, doubling of Pell Grant. National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

67 Goldrick-Rab, S., & Welton, C. R. (2021, June 8). Statement from Hope Center President & Founder Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab in support of California’s AB 1456: The Cal Grant Equity Framework. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

68 Balzer Carr, B., & London, R. A. (2020). Healthy, housed, and well-fed: Exploring basic needs support

programming in the context of university student success. AERA Open, 6 (4).

69 Koppisch, Dahl, Magnelia, Goldrick-Rab, Coca, & Gill, 2021.

70 Anderson, D. M. (2021, February). Edquity grantees cross the finish line at Compton College. Edquity; Evans, W. N., Kearney, M. S., Perry, B. C., & Sullivan, J.X. (2020). Increasing community college completion rates among low-income students: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial evaluation of a case management intervention. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 39 (4), 930–965

71 The Hope Center for College, Community, & Justice. (2021). Scaling emergency aid during the pandemic: Community colleges reflect on lessons from CARES.

72 United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. (2020, November 24). Philadelphia Poverty Action Fund announces Call for Collaborations for The Family Stability Community Challenge .

73 Hensly, White, & Cruse, 2021.

74 Swipe Out Hunger. (n.d.) Hunger Free Campus Bill.

75 City of Philadelphia. (2019). NLC Cities Addressing Basic Needs to Improve Postsecondary and Workforce Success, Philadelphia Narrative.

76 U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.) ARP: American Rescue Plan (HEERF III).

77 Conroy, E., Goldrick-Rab, S., Welton, C., & Huelsman, M. (2021). Principles for pandemic relief: Maximizing the impact of Higher Education Relief Funds (HEERF) for students. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.

78 Ortagus, J. C., Tanner, M., & McFarlin, I. (2021). Can re-enrollment campaigns help dropouts return to

college? Evidence from Florida community colleges. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 43 (1), 154–171.