Living Up to the Promise? Exploring Issues of Access and Equity among New England 's Promise Programs - Brief

Oct 15, 2026

Living Up to the Promise? explores how New England’s promise programs expand college access while shaping equity outcomes. The analysis surveys where these programs exist, how they are implemented and funded, who benefits, and who is excluded. Findings assess enrollment, payout, and graduation patterns for key programs and evaluate whether support beyond tuition improves completion. Policy recommendations address eligibility review, living cost stipends, advising, stable funding, and broader inclusion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Even at Public Colleges, Higher Education in New England is Often Unaffordable

Understanding College Promise Programs: History and Components

New England 's Promise Programs are Highly Varied in Reach and Design

A Spotlight on Four New England Promise Programs

Who Benefits from New England 's Promise Programs?

An Equity Analysis of New England 's Promise Programs

Going Beyond Access: Pairing Promise Awards with Advising

Funding Impacts Promise Programs ' Effectiveness

Policy Recommendations

Conclusion

Bibliography

NEW ENGLAND BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION Living Up to the Promise? Exploring Issues of Access and Equity among New England 's Promise Programs Brief Prepared By: Rachael Conway-Policy and Research Consultant January 2022 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2 2. Even at Public Colleges, Higher Education in New England is Often Unaffordable 4 3. Understanding College Promise Programs: History and Components 6 4. New England 's Promise Programs are Highly Varied in Reach and Design 8 5. A Spotlight on Four New England Promise Programs 11 6. Who Benefits from New England 's Promise Programs? 14 7. An Equity Analysis of New England 's Promise Programs 15 8. Going Beyond Access: Pairing Promise Awards with Advising 17 9. Funding Impacts Promise Programs ' Effectiveness 18 10. Policy Recommendations 19 11. Conclusion 22 12. Bibliography 23 INTRODUCTION 2 For the first time in U.S. history, a proposal for nationwide free community college passed through the House of Representatives in the fall of 2021. Although the provision was ultimately dropped from President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill, its early presence suggests the political appeal of making college accessible to more Americans. Many New England states, municipalities andinstitutions have already embraced free college models, albeit with wide variation in eligibility criteria and implementation. For instance, Rhode Island passed legislation in May 2021 that removed a sunset provision in order to permanently establish the Rhode Island Promise program, which grants up to two years of free tuition for eligible Rhode Islanders at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) . These types of free college policies, widely known as “promise programs,”have the potential to expand access to a debt-free higher education, particularly for low-income, first-generation and other historically underrepresented student communities. Undocumented students, for example, could benefit immensely from free college policies, as college costs are often insurmountable without federal financial aid, for which these students are ineligible. Promise programs are an encouraging approach to achieving equity in higher education and the workforce. When such programs are designed to complement existing federal and state higher education policies, they have the potential to fill opportunity gaps and ensure that historically excluded groups can access college and earn a postsecondary credential in a moneymaking field. However, common and current promise program implementation strategies, such as limiting eligibility to certain groups and types of colleges, can exacerbate inequality rather than reduce it. Furthermore, while the financial assistance promise programs offer may encourage more lowincome students to enroll in college, programs should also provide recipients clear pathways to completing college and earning a credential—gaining access is not enough. This report describes the landscape of New England’s promise programs. It addresses the following questions: A) In which institutions, cities and states in the region do promise programs currently exist? B) How are they implemented, and how does implementation vary? C) How are they funded? D) Who benefits from existing promise programs, and who is left out? E) How do promise program recipients benefit, both financially and otherwise? F) Do our region’s promise programs center equity by prioritizing support for historically underserved student groups? 3 By analyzing state and local promise programs with a spotlight on the enrollment, payout and graduation rates of four of New England’s most prominent promise programs—the Rhode Island Promise, Connecticut’s New Haven and Hartford Promise programs, and Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College Plan—we hope that this report will inform policymakers, educational leaders and the public about the most effective ways to design and implement these program

FAQs

What is the central focus of the report on New England’s promise programs?

The report examines where promise programs exist in New England, how they vary in implementation, how they are funded, who benefits, and whether they prioritize equity for historically underserved students.

Which promise programs are highlighted for deeper analysis?

The report spotlights four programs: the Rhode Island Promise, Connecticut’s New Haven and Hartford Promise programs, and Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College Plan.

What do the findings indicate about student outcomes for promise program recipients?

Recipients generally experience higher college graduation rates, particularly when scholarship support enables attendance at four-year colleges. The report also indicates that covering costs beyond tuition and fees can improve equity of support.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jordan Avery