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Mon­tana’s Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education has developed a statewide initiative called Montana 10 to help students enroll in and graduate from the Montana University System. In particular, the initiative seeks to support students who live in #rural areas, are from low-income families, are first-generation college students, or are Native American. This multifaceted program combines financial assistance, specialized advising and career services, and academic support, all in a one-stop shop for students. Montana 10 offers students two to four full years of services, depending on the length of their study program, and operates in all types of institutions in the state, from small, rural community colleges to the large, four-year flagship university. This brief summarizes the Montana 10 intervention, MDRC's random assignment evaluation of the initiative, the study sample, and early qualitative and quantitative findings for a subset of the full sample. Future reports will include findings for all study participants as well as a student survey and a cost study. https://lnkd.in/e_9G33Pv

🚀 Last chance to register for this FREE webinar! 🎯 From Stuck to Strategic: A Practical Starting Point 📅 Wednesday, December 10 | 1:00 pm (ET) Join behavioral science experts from MDRC’s Evidence to Practice team for an engaging session: ✅ Learn strategies to help you use participant-centered approaches to address barriers in your program and unlock new solutions ✅ Improve communications using behavioral science tools you can employ right away ✅ Designed for program administrators, program staff, and data teams 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/e7DPeHgF https://lnkd.in/ebE2vHNa

Community colleges like Lorain County Community College (LCCC) are boosting graduation rates and economic mobility through evidence-based programs like SAIL, helping students succeed with personalized support and proven results. In 2012, LCCC began to transform its approach to better meet student needs, and to provide them with training that equips them for a career they are excited about and supports their economic mobility. That approach included the implementation of the SAIL program, a replication of CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP). SAIL, launched in 2014, is designed to improve graduation rates by offering structured academic programs, one-on-one student advising, and wraparound services such as scholarships, vouchers, monthly academic check-ins, and career advising. MDRC, an Arnold Ventures grantee, studied the results of three ASAP replications in Ohio schools, including the SAIL program’s results. MDRC released its findings in 2020 from a three-year randomized control trial (RCT). By the end of their third year, 35 percent of Ohio program students had earned degrees, compared to 19 percent of students who received normal college services. An MDRC report released in April 2025 shows those results are long-lasting: Eight years after the ASAP replication’s implementation, 46 percent of program students earned a degree, compared to 31 percent of the control group students. Graduates earned an average of $27,934, which is $3,337 more than the control group’s average of $24,596 – a 14 percent increase. A third (32%) of the program group students were earning at least $40,000, compared with 26% of the control group students. In addition, 17.6% of program group students earned a bachelor’s degree by the eight-year mark. https://lnkd.in/eyzuQfBH

🚀 Register Today: From Stuck to Strategic: A Practical Starting Point 📅 Wednesday, December 10 | 1:00–2:00 PM ET Join behavioral science experts from MDRC’s Evidence to Practice team for an engaging session designed to help you: ✅ Apply participant-centered approaches to overcome behavioral barriers ✅ Improve communications with practical behavioral science tools ✅ Explore MDRC’s unique Evidence to Practice approach ✅ Connect with peers in a collaborative learning space This webinar is perfect for program administrators, staff, and data teams in nonprofit social and education programs looking to spark new improvement strategies. 👉 Register by December 5: https://lnkd.in/e7DPeHgF https://lnkd.in/ebE2vHNa

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. – A new report on Jefferson County’s fines and fees system argues that U.S. courts’ reliance on monetary sanctions is ineffective at generating revenue and disproportionately harmful to Black and low-income residents. The report, produced by MDRC, in partnership with the Jefferson County Circuit Court, analyzed five years of case-level data and included interviews with court officials and residents with outstanding court debt.... ....Interviews conducted for the report show rare agreement between court officials and those who owe court debt: both groups described the current system as “broken.” Residents reported serious financial and emotional consequences from mounting court debt, while court staff questioned whether the existing system could reliably generate revenue. The report has already prompted action. Jefferson County officials have begun a pilot program designed to reduce debt burdens and improve repayment rates. In addition, the findings helped spur the creation of a statewide task force that will review fines and fees policies across Alabama. via Angelina Thein Tun, PEOPLES VANGUARD OF DAVIS INC https://lnkd.in/eenQyQFY