What We Learned
Cross-College Strengths and Areas for Action
Across the four participating colleges, JFF’s mixed-methods research surfaced some consistent themes. The programs the colleges and JFF examined are strong. In many cases, they outperform the institutions’ overall averages on program completion and have strong labor market value. Students are motivated, faculty members are committed, and applied learning is embedded in some programs’ designs. At the same time, disparities in access, academic momentum, and completion—particularly for Black learners and students balancing significant work and family responsibilities—signal structural challenges that require intentional intervention. Below is a synthesis of the core strengths and challenges that emerged across colleges.
Strengths to Build On
1. Strong Faculty Relationships and Instructional Quality
Across all colleges and programs, student respondents consistently cited the faculty as a critical factor in their success. They described instructors as caring, accessible, and deeply invested in their learning. Through strong relationships with faculty members, students received support navigating academic challenges and persisting through setbacks.
“The director and professors are all readily available and willing to help.” —Paralegal student
2. Applied, Career-Connected Learning
Learners repeatedly identified hands-on learning—clinicals, externships, labs, simulations, and project-based coursework—as the most valuable component of their programs. They emphasized that applied learning helped them build confidence and clarify their career goals, and reinforced the relevance of their coursework. Several programs also demonstrated strong overall completion rates relative to other programs at their respective institutions, suggesting that the core program design is sound.
“The clinicals were the best part—that’s where you really learn.” —Medical Assistant student
3. Student Motivation and Clear Career Purpose
Across colleges, learners expressed strong intrinsic motivation to enter high-growth fields. In health programs, some students articulated a desire to serve their communities and increase representation in their professions. In technical programs, students were drawn by economic mobility and the tangible outcomes of hands-on work.
“My current employer recommended it, and I wanted to advance.” —Medical Assistant student
“I want a better life for my family, and this program is a means to achieve that.” —IT student
Areas for Action
1. Uneven Access to High-Wage Pathways
Across sites, Black learners were often underrepresented in programs associated with labor market opportunity, concentrated in lower-wage credentials within a field, or entirely absent from certain specializations altogether (e.g., Black women in some technical programs; Black men in nursing). These patterns were not driven by lack of interest or effort. Instead, several structural factors played a role, including competitive admissions caps and limited seats, unclear program requirements, and insufficient early advising and career navigation supports.
“It is just a little harder to get into because they get over 200 applicants each semester and only around 70 seats are available.” —Nursing student
“I tried to access the counseling system, but they never got back to me.” —Paralegal student
2. Academic Momentum Gaps
In all four colleges, Black learners earned fewer cumulative credits and had lower average GPAs within the focus programs. In several programs, stop-out rates were notably higher. Qualitative findings suggest that these gaps emerge early and compound over time due to factors such as fast-paced coursework without embedded scaffolding, limited supports in gateway courses, confusing course sequencing, and reactive rather than proactive advising.
“The classes are very fast-paced. There’s not much time to slow down or dissect material.” —Mechatronics student
3. Financial Strain and Competing Responsibilities
Many learners described balancing work, caregiving, and school simultaneously. Some pointed to financial aid timing being misaligned with accelerated courses, the need to pay up-front for materials, unreliable internet access, and limited child care as concrete barriers to persistence. Financial supports were often disconnected from academic planning.
“Some students drop out not because of [the community college] but because of personal issues, like losing housing or transportation.” —Mechatronics student
“The way the current environment is with just inflation, the cost of living, a lot of individuals have to go to work just to try to survive. . . . School is sometimes on the back burner unless they get into a stable job and/or if they’re on financial aid.” —IT student
“Some of the courses went to eight weeks, so that made the financial aid a little different because we received the money we were supposed to use for school at the end of the eight-week course rather than at the beginning. I had to pay for textbooks out of my own pocket.” —IT student
4. Navigation and Advising Friction
Learners across colleges described difficulty accessing clear, consistent guidance about course sequencing, program milestones, transfer or advancement pathways, and WBL opportunities. Some learners described feeling as though they were guessing about next steps. They frequently experienced overburdened and reactive advising systems, which created confusion that disproportionately affected students without informal networks to rely on.
“I felt like I was guessing when picking my classes. Some courses were only available in certain semesters, which messed up my schedule.” —Mechatronics student
5. Climate, Belonging, and Representation Challenges
In several programs—particularly those where Black learners and women of all backgrounds were underrepresented—students described experiences of feeling isolated, being overlooked, or carrying the burden of representation in cohorts where few peers shared their race and/or gender identity. Some noted that curricula and instructional materials did not reflect their communities. At the same time, cohort models, peer study groups, and mentoring relationships served as critical factors for persistence and a stronger sense of belonging, where they were available.
“I’ve faced bias and difficulty being taken seriously as a Black woman in IT.” —IT student
“Sometimes I feel like I’m overexplained to, like I don’t know as much as they think . . . especially from older students.” —Mechatronics student
“We don’t see people like us in these high-wage, high-earning careers. It’s usually white males or females.” —Mechatronics student