What We’re Reading

• W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research's The Free College Handbook - A Practitioner's Guide to Promise Research. This handbook represents the collective effort of a dozen researchers and was funded by the Kresge Foundation. 

• Center for Community College Student Engagement's (CCCSE) How Clear is Their Path? - Guided Career Pathways and Community College Students

• W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research's Policies for Place Annual Report

• Rice HERC's Will Tuition-Free College Increase College Graduation Rates? This study determined the optimal tuition subsidy necessary to increase two- and four-year college graduation rates in Texas. 

• Forbes' A Decade of Transformation: The Evolution of TN Promise To Meet Today's Student Needs

Austin 2030 Materials

• Theory of Change - In 2023, Austin 2030 worked with Dr. Wendy Erisman to develop the Network’s inaugural Theory of Change.

• Common Agenda - During 2022-2023, Austin 2030 convened an Action Team to develop the Network’s Common Agenda.

• Greater Austin Postsecondary Landscape Brief - In 2021, Austin 2030 commissioned a landscape study to better understand key questions about Austin’s postsecondary space. The study was conducted by FourPoint Education Partners and Chantelle George Consulting.

• The Story of Us - Austin 2030 began in 2019 as a Learning and Discovery for a diverse group of civic leaders committed to providing durable, community-driven support for Austin’s children and youth.
  

Austin Promise Planning Meeting Materials

• February 1, 2024 Lunch and Community Conversation Slide Deck

• May 16, 2024 Listening Session with LBJ Students and School Leaders - Austin 2030 Intro Slide Deck

• May 30, 2024 Learning Session with W.E. Upjohn Institute - Slide Deck

Media Coverage of College Promise Programs

• Austin Community College OKs Free Tuition Program for Eligible 2024 High School Graduates Austin American-Statesman, April 2, 2024

• What Are ‘Promise Programs’ and How Can They Help Make College More Affordable?
  PBS News Hour, December 26, 2022

• "The Psychological Power of the Word 'Free'" Inside Higher Ed, August 11, 2022

  Study Finds Connection Between Public Community College Promise Programs and Enrollment Increases Diverse Issues in Higher Education, October 25, 2020

• ‘Free college’ programs Sound Great – But Who Gets Excluded? Hechinger Report, October 23, 2020

• The Promise and Disappointment of Free College Inside Higher Ed, October 21, 2020