Compton College students cross the finish line

The analysis examines the short-term results of distributing emergency grants to students at Compton College in spring 2020. The evaluation finds that students who received emergency aid via Edquity were twice as likely to graduate by August, compared to comparable students who did not receive aid.

The evaluation examined grants in the amount of $250 to students at Compton College, where 85% of students are Black or Latinx and 90% receive financial aid. Grants were distributed to recipients using a proprietary decisioning framework developed by Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, Edquity’s Chief Strategy Officer for Emergency Aid, to assess their need. In total, 289 students applied for support during the first wave of the pandemic, and 90 were selected to receive grants. The vast majority of grant recipients were able to apply for and receive funds in less than 48 hours. Just 11% of students completed their degrees by August if they were not funded, while 22% of comparable grant recipients graduated. That difference was statistically significant.

"As the first California community college to work with Edquity, I am encouraged to see this initiative translate into results for our students and am excited to continue to expand our use for emergency aid to increase retention, graduation, and enrollment for both our dual enrollment students from local high schools within our District and students who have withdrawn from Compton College due to the pandemic."

Keith Curry

President/CEO of Compton College

The funded students were selected through a needs assessment, a verification process with the college, and a random element to distribute limited funds. This created comparison groups of unfunded students.Economist Drew Anderson, who has led several rigorous independent evaluations of financial aid, including programs in ​Wisconsin​ and ​New Jersey​, conducted the analysis.