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The summary details literature on affordability, explaining how grant aid and broader cost policies influence persistence, attainment, and outcomes, including evidence on nontraditional students and need-based aid effects.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-and-evidence-student-success-strategies/588085/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/research-and-evidence-student-success-strategies/588085.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Aditya","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"How does the document define student success strategies?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It describes student success strategies as those that benefit completion and retention and operate through direct or indirect interventions beyond the academic classroom setting.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Why is affordability important for postsecondary completion?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The document states that affordability has historically been a central deciding factor for enrollment and that student costs have a strong relationship with degree completion.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What evidence does the document cite about grant aid and persistence?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It reports findings from research and meta-analysis that show grant aid is associated with higher likelihood of persistence and degree attainment, including stronger effects for need-based programs.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},588085,1792189008,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":115,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962085564549,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Research and Evidence: Student Success Strategies © 2026 by Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 3035 Center Green Drive, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80301 | Publication Number ECMC006rs26  \nRESEARCH AND EVIDENCE: STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGIES  \nKate Baca | February 2026  \nAbout the Project  \nThis research summary pairs with a series of policy briefs that highlight various postsecondary completion strategies across the WICHE region. These reviews provide a short overview of the research surrounding the various policies and initiatives surfaced in the landscape analysis of state strategic plans. Each research summary serves as the research context partner to the accompanying policy brief. Further details on the findings of this analysis, including the policy briefs on student success, workforce alignment, academic success, and coordinated collaboration strategies, and an interactive online resource displaying state-level strategies, are available at [wiche.edu/policy-research/completion](wiche.edu/policy-research/completion. This work was generously funded)[. This work was generously funded](wiche.edu/policy-research/completion. This work was generously funded) by ECMC Foundation.  \nA s states work to increase completion across the West, they have made strategic  \ninvestments to support student success on campuses, outside of their coursework and credits.1 WICHE identified student success strategies as those that benefit students’completion and retention and are either direct or indirect interventions outside of the academic classroom setting. State efforts in this category include resources and support for student mental health and wellbeing; efforts to meet students’ basic needs such as emergency funding, housing access and food resources; grants and financial aid programs; and advising models and peer supports.  \nEach of these sections gives a brief overview of the literature within that field, such as affordability or increased professional development for advising staff. However, many of these strategies are intertwined with student support services, which address needs such as student mental health and belonging, financial aid support, basic needs support, and integrated advising.2 We discuss research into the areas of both structural and institutional  \n 1  RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE: STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGIES  \nreforms and efforts to support student needs separately and together, as these student success programs often have compelling research and policy outcomes.  \nAffordability  \nHistorically, affordability has been a central deciding factor for students’ matriculation into postsecondary degree programs. Student costs continue to have a strong relationship with student degree completion.3 This section highlights research on affordability and student outcomes that contribute to student degree completion, or on completion outcomes resulting from affordability interventions. As a concept, affordability is broader than financial aid. It encompasses state-level affordability policies like grant aid, tuition policy, tuition freezes, and state appropriations to institutions. Specific to this section, we focus on grant aid research, and expand on other policies, such as basic needs support, below.  \nRecognizing the necessity for affordable postsecondary options, states have invested in strategies that address student financial need. Every state in the WICHE region administers state grant aid programs, with wide variation in both models and funding capacity. For examples of these policies, see the accompanying policy brief.  \nFinancial aid and its effect on the completion and degree attainment rates of students can be difficult to study, given confounding factors and the various types of aid students receive.4 However, recent research has explored the positive impacts of different types of aid on student persistence and completion.5 One meta","cbCaihVNudwlb5wU","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihVNudwlb5wU","pdf",511596,"English","# About the Project\n# Affordability","[{\"question\":\"How does the document define student success strategies?\",\"answer\":\"It describes student success strategies as those that benefit completion and retention and operate through direct or indirect interventions beyond the academic classroom setting.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is affordability important for postsecondary completion?\",\"answer\":\"The document states that affordability has historically been a central deciding factor for enrollment and that student costs have a strong relationship with degree completion.\"},{\"question\":\"What evidence does the document cite about grant aid and persistence?\",\"answer\":\"It reports findings from research and meta-analysis that show grant aid is associated with higher likelihood of persistence and degree attainment, including stronger effects for need-based programs.\"}]","RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE: STUDENT SUCCESS STRATEGIES | PDF",1792064497,23]