Three proven approaches for helping young adults transition to post-secondary success
Graduating from high school is one of the most important milestones in a young person’s journey towards upward mobility. For teenagers from well-off families, enrolling in a four-year college is often expected as the next step. For young people from families with lower-incomes, while enrollment and college completion rates within 6 years have steadily improved since 2010, major disparities remain. As of 2022, college enrollment rates for young adults from wealthier families were 35 percent higher than enrollment rates for young adults from lower-income families.
While a post-secondary degree is not the only path to a fulfilling career, post-secondary degree attainment is associated with major increases in lifetime earnings. And post-secondary degrees are increasingly required in an ever-more-competitive labor market. By 2031, it is estimated that 55 percent of jobs will require at least an associates degree and 93 percent of jobs will require a high school diploma.
As such, for cities and counties to remain economically vibrant and competitive, they need to help more of their young residents graduate from high school and succeed in some kind of post-secondary education.
Fortunately, communities across the country are showing the way, demonstrating innovative ways to support high school completion and post-secondary success. They are doing this by focusing on three key transition points for young adults: supporting high school completion with high school equivalency degrees (HSEDs), accelerating progress through associate’s degree programs at community colleges, and helping students navigate the transition from high school to college.
Back on track: Helping students complete high school requirements
Young people who have not completed high school face major barriers to upward mobility. They tend to struggle to find high-quality employment, earn far less, experience more chronic health issues, and are more likely to be incarcerated.
Given the challenges that individuals without a high school degree tend to face, local leaders across the country have begun investing in improved high school equivalency degree programs, structured courses that equip participants with an accepted alternative to a “traditional” high school diploma.
Participants in HSED programs often face numerous obstacles to completing traditional coursework, so successful programs tend to provide modular curricula that allow students to progress at their own pace. These programs frequently provide supports like childcare, transportation assistance, and career counseling. And high-performing programs are often connected to post-secondary educational institutions or vocational training providers, which help students continue their academic or workforce training journey.
In 2013, nearly 16 percent of adults in Racine (WI) did not have a high school degree, nearly double the state average. Paired with the fact that Racine had some of the highest unemployment rates in the state, local leaders recognized the need to help more adults receive a high school graduation credential. In 2017, the YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin launched a new HSED program with a number of notable features–small cohorts of 15-20 students each, a modular curriculum, and a slew of supports like free childcare. As of 2021, 78 percent of participants received their HSED, and 80 percent of graduates left the program with a workforce readiness certificate.
Accelerating degree attainment at community colleges
While a high school credential is required for the vast majority of jobs, a post-secondary degree opens the door to employment possibilities with significantly higher pay. This includes two-year associate’s degrees awarded by community colleges.
Unfortunately, as of 2024, only 43.4% of community college students receive their degree in 6 years. For too many students, enrollment in a community college absorbs time and money but does not yield a meaningful academic or workforce credential.
Recognizing the urgency in helping more enrolled students complete their associate’s degrees, many community colleges have transformed their operations to increase graduation rates. Successful programs tend to provide a high degree of financial, academic, and personal support. They feature frequent interactions with academic advisors, cohort-style learning, flexible schedules, and many logistical accommodations for part-time students.
In New York City, the CUNY ASAP program has emerged as a highly effective and replicable model. ASAP provides low-income students with up to three years of financial support, covering any gap between a student’s financial aid package and the cost of tuition. ASAP students are assigned a counselor who provides frequent one-on-one advising and connections to tutoring or career counseling. To simplify the logistics of getting to school and advancing through required coursework, ASAP participants receive transportation subsidies, priority class registration, and stipends for textbooks.
The program has yielded tremendously positive results, doubling associate’s degree completion rates, increasing earnings after graduation by 11%, and boosting second semester full-time enrollment by 20%. The model has been successfully replicated at dozens of community colleges in seven states.
Smoothing the transition from high school to college
While associate’s degrees meaningfully boost earnings potential, four-year bachelor’s degrees are still the surest path to high-quality employment. As of 2022, 25 to 34 year olds with a bachelor’s degree earn $16,000 more per year on average than those with associate’s degrees.
For students from lower-income families–and for those who are the first generation in their family to attend college–the transition from high school to a four-year university is filled with obstacles. Navigating college applications, applying for financial aid, selecting courses, and adjusting to campus life are just a few of the major hurdles that students face to successfully enrolling in and succeeding in college. These factors contribute to persistent gaps in college enrollment and completion between white students and students of color.
Thankfully, a range of programs have emerged to help students apply to colleges, receive financial aid, and succeed on campus. These programs tend to connect with students before they begin their application process and serve them continuously through college matriculation. They generally provide a high degree of navigation assistance, academic guidance, mentorship, and career support.
One such program, Bottom Line, has successfully served students in public schools in 14 states and supports over 6,000 students annually. The program matches high school students with an advisor, who helps them understand the application and financial aid process, then provides guidance on college selection and enrollment. The program continues to serve its participants once they are in college, facilitating a range of peer supports and assisting with class registration, housing, and other logistical issues. Rigorous evaluations have demonstrated that the program boosts bachelor’s degree attainment within six years by nearly 10 percentage points. In Boston (MA) the program has served over 3,000 students, with 94 percent of those continuing into at least their second year of college.
Taking action
For local leaders motivated to improve economic mobility in their communities, prioritizing high school completion and post-secondary success are high-leverage places to start. Investing in improved high school equivalency degree programs, comprehensive supports for community college students, and services to help students transition to college can improve degree completion and significantly boost lifetime earnings.
For other evidence-based solutions that promote high school graduation, post-secondary completion, and workforce readiness, the Economic Mobility Catalog contains dozens of examples, including the following:
This article was written by Daniel Daponte and Ross Tilchin