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Community College Students Who Used Single Stop Were Likely to Experience Improved Postsecondary Success

• In a study of first-time-in-college students at four community college systems during fall 2014, Single Stop use was associated with an increase in college persistence of at least 3 percentage points.
• Single Stop users attempted more credits than comparable students who did not use Single Stop.
• Use of Single Stop's tax assistance services was associated with particularly positive outcomes in terms of persistence and credits earned.
• Findings were particularly positive for Single Stop users who were adult learners (age 25 and older), independent students, and nonwhite students.
• Single Stop use was associated with improved postsecondary outcomes at all but one of the institutions in the study.

Single Stop U.S.A.'s Community College Initiative was designed to improve the well-being of low-income communities by connecting individuals to public benefits and other institutional and community resources to address nonacademic barriers to college completion. Through offices located on community college campuses, Single Stop provides students with a range of free services, including screenings and applications for public benefit programs; tax services, financial counseling, and legal services; and case management with referrals to a wide variety of resources and support programs across the institution and community. This report presents an evaluation of the Single Stop program and its impact on students' postsecondary outcomes. The authors examined the Single Stop program at four community college systems: Bunker Hill Community College, City University of New York, Delgado Community College, and Miami Dade College. The analysis indicates that use of Single Stop was associated with improved postsecondary outcomes. The findings suggest that access to alternative financial resources from government benefit programs alongside a network of institutional and community support programs can offer valuable support to college students.

• Chapter One

  The Importance of Effective College Support Programs

• Chapter Two

  Describing the Single Stop Program

• Chapter Three

  Our Approach to Evaluating Single Stop

• Chapter Four

  Single Stop and Postsecondary Outcomes

• Chapter Five

  Summary of Findings and Implications