How About Us? Exploring the Relationship Between College Promise Programs and Part-Time Student Success

Abstract

Objective: A growing body of research has examined the relationship between participation in college promise programs (CPP) and student outcomes, including college enrollment, persistence, and completion. However, variation in CPP design limits the extent to which study findings are generalizable. Further, most studies analyze the outcomes of student participation in the whole program rather than specific program features. This study explored the relationship between CPP participation and degree completion among part-time students. Method: Analyses relied on administrative data from a single community college located in the western United States. Estimates were derived from a matched sample and a series of linear probability models. Results: Results showed that CPP participants were significantly more likely than the comparison group to enroll full-time for at least one semester after initially enrolling on a part-time basis. Results also indicated that all participants were significantly more likely to earn transfer-oriented associate’s degrees and certificates than their peers in the comparison group. Importantly, while full-time attendance was associated with increased probabilities of completion for all program participants, the relationship was moderated by CPP participation.