State of College Access and Completion

Anthony P. Jones is Executive Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid at the University of Utah, USA, and holds affiliate faculty status in the College of Education.Ashley B. Clayton is the Jo Ellen Levy Yates Endowed Associate Professor in the Lutrill and Pearl Payne School of Education at Louisiana State University, USA.

• 1. Introduction to the State of College Access and Completion: Advancements and Intervening Factors 2. Frameworks for College Access and Choice 3. Programs and Interventions Supporting Students’ College and Career Readiness 4. College Access Barriers and Opportunities for Underserved, Underrepresented, and Post-Traditional Students 5. The Role of Affordability and Finances in Access 6. The Role of Financial Wellness in College Persistence and Completion 7. A Constellation of Frameworks: Understanding Student Retention, Persistence, Completion, and Transfer Pathways 8. College Success Initiatives: How Students Are Supported for Retention and Completion 9. State Efforts and Effects on College Access and Completion 10. Revisiting Non-Experimental Designs and Causal Analyses of College Access, Persistence, and Completion 11. Conclusions and Observations on the State of College Access and Completion: 2026 and the Next Decade

"Students, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners should look no further than The State of College Access and Completion for an excellent compilation of recent research findings and a compelling set of recommendations to improve college student outcomes.” Erik Ness, Professor and Director, Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia, USA