We research and advocate for the implementation and scaling of evidence-based programs and policies that provide students, particularly from low-income and minoritized communities, with comprehensive support and advising needed to succeed in higher education systems and graduate with a high-quality postsecondary credential.
In partnership with MDRC and LEO, TICAS also facilitates a community of practice with seven Comprehensive Approaches to Student Success (CASS) programs to understand programs’ impact and common design elements, as well as what it would take to scale these approaches to meaningfully move the needle on college completion among underserved students nationally. Read more about CASS programs and design principles.
Sparking Equity: Facing the Crisis of College Affordability
October 19, 2023
The Sparking Equity Podcast chats with TICAS’s Dr. Jhenai Chandler and Aneesh Sohoni of One Million Degrees in Chicago, about an exciting approach called “comprehensive approaches to student success,” or CASS. Implemented in a growing number of places, it provides comprehensive support to students to help them reach their academic goals more effectively and thus limit the debt they take on.
Meet Our Team
In the News
- A Guide to College Completion with Targeted and Evidence-Based Strategies
December 6, 2022 - (Opinion) Supporting Student Parents Is an Equity Imperative, Jhenai Chandlar, Inside Higher Ed
November 2022 - What can more financial support do for higher ed? Raise completion, for one. | Chris Burt, University Business
April 5, 2022 - Analysis: States Can Use Federal Relief Funds to Raise College Graduation Rates. Here’s How | Sameer Gadkaree, TICAS, and Michele Jolin, Results for America, The 74million
March 22, 2022 - More than 30 groups call on Biden Administration to support college completion | Chris Burt, University Business
February 28, 2022 - Congress Should Help College Students Reach the Finish Line | Editorial Board, Bloomberg Opinion
December 9, 2021 - Democrats keep college completion cash in spending bill | Jessica Calefati, Politico
November 8, 2021 - Why We Must Invest In Community College Completion | Deneece G. Huftalin, RealClearEducation
October 29, 2021 - OPINION: We can help low-income students, first-gen students and students of color succeed in college, but not without support | Alexander Mayer, MDRC, and Catherine Brown, TICAS, The Hechinger Report
August 18, 2021 - “Shifting Focus From Access to Completion” | Alexis Gravely, Inside Higher Ed
May 3, 2021 - “It will take more than free tuition to improve graduation rates” | Alyssa Ratledge, MDRC, Community College Daily
April 27, 2021
Resources from Partners
- College Completion Strategy Guide (MDRC, SHEEO, The Education Trust, and TICAS)
April 2022 - Why Expanded Student Supports Can Improve Community College Outcomes and Boost Skill Attainment (Brookings)
April 7, 2021 - Preliminary Evaluation of the Detroit Promise Program: Motor City Momentum (MDRC)
March 2021 - Working Paper: Comprehensive Approaches to Increasing Student Completion in Higher Education: A Survey of the Landscape (LEO)
February 2021
